#or anywhere in the unknown regions

[inquisitor-apologist]

Man, Cere had hair??

[evilminji]

You know? I kinda wonder...

In a Self Insert type scenario, in Star Wars?

They would be MUCH more open to listening to "buddy, a storm's comin'" type warnings. Their Cannon knowledge, even if spotty, would probably echo with the Force and draw its attention to them somewhat. Because they KNOW.

KNOW what is going to happen. Not guess. Not assume. KNOW. Like the Force does. And that? Coupled with their inherent strangeness? Would make them the oddly colored duck of the flock, as it were. Not Super Important... buuuut? Easy to spot.

One of the Force's Blorbos.

Just cause, really. Cause they look funny. The Force doesn't even have a plan for um! But they turned up, ate the Force's food, and look at their wittle faaaace~☆! So it's keeping them. You know... assuming they survive.

Which?

Brings me to my point?

Since they LISTEN? The Force probably chatters like a mofo. Since a Self Insert would be anxious and constantly ASKING for wisdom. For help. A friend. Guidance of any kind. The Force would be draped around them like a particularly pleased with itself shoulder cat. A hovering backseat driver.

Because you DO keep asking, after all.

It's like muscle memory. Building strength. Not... not GREAT, in all actuality? Because Self Insert is avoiding making their OWN choices, probably out of fear? But on the OTHER hand? Both of them KNOW that there is literally a Sith Master like... less then 5 minutes away from where they live. Constantly.

And they are a Youngling.

So???

At What Point?? Does the Force? Engage "Fuck it, we take our baby and run" protocols?

Just? FULL ON "you stop midway through making your dinner, turn off the soup, pick up your kids, leave the house, and NEVER LOOK BACK". Because? Yes. The Jedi KNIGHTS and MASTERS may have vows to try and protect the people of the Republic?

BUT THE YOUNGLINGS DO NOT.

They, in fact, need to be PROTECTED.

And if the Force itself? Says "if you stay here, they WILL die."? You gotta go. Hopefully? You have enough warning to like... pack a ship. But, ya might NOT. Might just be "aaaand, everybody put down your pads! Suprise field trip to Anywhere Else! IMMEDIATELY. Single file, younglings. No running!" Like?

What would you do?

I kinda wanna see it.

Just this somber, vaguely haunted, crechling walking up to import figures like Madam Nu and Yoda going "if I tell you The Force told me we have to take the younglings, ALL OF THEM, and any history we think is worth preserving, and LEAVE... would you listen? Or would you let us die here?" With their tiny lil face and to serious expression.

Like a prophet of Doom.

And WHERE? Exactly? Are they supposed to go? Oh, simple. They are to Trust In The Force. And let it guide them. Out IN THE UNKNOWN REGIONS of wild space! Because THATS fine! Is this a joke?

No.

No the youngling is dead serious. Terrifyingly serious. Has been studying how to pilot a shop like they will have to do so THEMSELF. Asking questions that paint a concerning portrait of a child that fully intends to take their peers on this journey, with or without them.

And the Force? The Force says they MUST. That it is impossibly important they DO.

WELL THEN....

Do they... TELL anybody?

No. Not a single soul. Specifically, not a single soul In The Senate. Ah. Concerning! Guess we're? "Losing" a ship in the war? Oh dear. Such casualties. All those lives. Oh noooooo, and such and so forth. UNRELATED note! It's been FAR too long since this temple was cleaned! Unacceptable. You, random clones definitely not assigned to that ship we definitely just lost! Help us... clean!

Just?

The power of "fuck it, we took our ball and went home/left"? Should be USED more in fics. The Force TOTALLY knows where some sweet, sweet habitable planets are. You'll NEVER fuckin find them if they don't want you too! An entire temple of Jedi asking for the SAME thing? Versus a crusty lil shit?

They asked first. And nicely!

With THIS, balance is maintained. Not through FORCE. But through walking away for a bit. Allowing OTHERS to decide if this is what THEY want for themselves. Order 66 may or may not still happen? But? At most? All you would kill is the current fighting adults. Not the teachers. Not the elders. And CERTAINLY not the young.

They? Are far away. Where the Force is still clear and the light is strong. Growing up. Reflecting on what went wrong. Farming. Building a new temple with the Clones. You know, the ones who didn't have their comms. Never GOT that dreaded order. Get to live free men on a peaceful planet.

Cause historically? You send your kids AWAY from active wars zones. Places that are priority targets for your enemies. And if the Force itself is saying "move the babies"? Welp! Guess you gotta move um, don't ya? It's scary. Uncertain.

But it is an act of faith.

And I just? Wanna see Sith's plans just COMPLETELY fuckin implode? Because they could not plan for Faith. For Trust and Community and Hope. All the things they believe so trite. So worthless. The very things that would lead grown adults, POWERFUL PEOPLE, to actually? LISTEN to a mere youngling. Then follow their lead.

It would be?

Inconceivable to them.

@legitimatesatanspawn @babbling-babull @hypewinter @babbling-babull @hdgnj @starwarsblr @starwars

[b1asho]

Round one of the species introduction!!!!

Prectikar Master Post:

Here's some info on them, and if you want to see some other drawings I've done of them (albeit some occasionally older n crustier ones), check out my deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/blasho

Anyway:

Prectikar are a large sentient species, usually standing at around 8-9 feet tall when fully upright and weighing anywhere close to or upwards if 1000 pounds

They are covered in feather-like fur (or is it fur-like feathers? They're occasionally branched like feathers, and all have quills, but some are more hairlike) due to the cold climate they evolved in, though length and thickness of it now varies by region.

They are omnivorous, and while they have many traits to help them hunt and kill, most of their diet tends to be plants.

Originally rush-down predators, they use their considerable strength to move in quick bursts and their specialized tusks to either ram prey to death or gouge into it as they grapple it.

Their jaw strength is also insane,with their skull actually sacrificing brain space in favor of it, which helps them eat pretty much anything they come across. They pay a lot of attention to food and cooking because of their high calorie needs and very sensitive nose/tongue.

They have manganese as an oxygen carrier is a result of the scarcity of other metals in their environment and potentially because of its general affinity for oxygen.

This causes their blood to be an amber/orange brown and shades of pink depending on its exposure to oxygen.

Through a network of cooperative bonding and other adaptations (like better oxygen retention in muscles and the easily carried size and longevity of the molecule) they’ve managed to bring this manganese transport molecule close to hemoglobin in terms of effectiveness, though they can also make use of manganese’s catalyst properties to temporarily push it to bring lots more oxygen to their tissues at a time (used for short bursts of speed and strength that allow them to take down large prey and plants for food).

their large body size (selected by their colder environment) lets them use their own high body heat to keep the O2 fixation and liberation going in their highly effective lungs.

An extensive understanding of their internal chemistry is unknown (aka gatekept by their colonizers/"uplifters" who ill get to later) but it seems like they also have a network of bacteria in their body just to manage the more reactive and damaging oxides that form, and to remove/convert the spent manganese into connective tissue and aid in bone maintenance.

They have higher calorie needs from keeping up the body temp and recycling/removing all that stuff, alongside just being big in general. Alongside a lot of sleeping, they also basically just eat all the time (compared to other species) to compensate, though their mammal-like fat retention and other metabolic adaptations for scarcity mean that they can handle long periods without resources(though this causes increasingly compounded problems for them)

Some other downsides include low tolerance of changes in oxygen levels (particularly low) and temperature levels, and poor adaptation to environments outside of their biosphere/without all the microorganisms since these things upset their delicate balance.

(part of why so many tribes were nomadic was/is to chase temperate and ‘warm’ seasons, even though to us that’s still cold. Prectikar living in human dominated areas often just take a lot of supplements with beneficial bacteria in them to cope with thr lack of that in their environent, and any food printers need an 'ink' cartridge containing these things or else theyre basically useless.),

They also experience faster general wear and tear from having constant complex and intensive chemical reactions(sometimes with dangerous chemicals) going on in their bloodstream and tissues.

( I’m not a biochemist, so if there’s any glaring issues with this then just explain it away to yourself with ‘they have a gland for that’ or ‘just don’t think about it actually’ which is what I did. I just wanted the fun color with a metal that can reversibly bond with oxygen :). )

They have one nasal passageway for smell/air and a second, bigger cavity for just vocalization (which they can’t breathe in from as easily).

This second cavity is between their first set of eyes, and has a phonic lip structure inside to produce higher pitched sounds.

The upper nasal opening has muscled nostrils that act as lips to further help control sound. The noise coming from here sounds very high to them, but to us it sounds like a nasally human voice, broken uobhere and there with squeaks, buzzes, and clicks).

They can pitch this nose voice very high, closer to dolphin-like clicking noises but not quite echolocation level.

Their throat vocal cords by their air sac are very long and thick, used for making very deep noises that carry long distances.

However, the vocal control they have through their mouth is very poor due to this and the inarticulate lips and tongue they have, and due to the more limited air they can bring in and out of it, so when speaking only through their mouth they sound a lot like seals or dogs and can only really go in short bursts before having to refill the sac.

Most of their languages are spoken with the nose and mouth sounds in tandem, where the high and low mix to make a more even sounding voice.

It’s fairly easy to understand them, but nearly impossible for us to truly speak any of their native languages, and if they wanted to they could also just start making sounds we cant hear.

They see it as strange that humans and other species speak with a single tone without difficulty.

The red flaps pictured on the drawing of their mouth and nasal passages can be moved to seal off the passage and direct airflow elsewhere.

The big red one in their throat acts as a “diaphragm” to fill and empty the air sac (which is left over from when their digestive and respiratory tracts were more connected like ours, but time in the water heavily shifted it to a more ‘blowhole’ type outline to help them breathe and vocalize from the surface).

The other flap by the air sac and its vocal cords moves upwards to block off the digestive tract whenever the mouth or nose is opened to allow air to be drawn in by this diaphragm.

The two red flaps making a pinched shape can move independently or with the other red flap, but never at the same time with each other. The main airway is always separate from the digestive tract, though the flap to the middle, non vocal nasal passage can be moved so that it’s a part of either the vocal nasal passage to draw in air or the air sac part to act as another resonance chamber.

Air can be drawn in by the diaphragm via open mouth and through the nose via open top red flap at the same time, and can be released at the same time, resulting in their near continuous double speak sound they use for their own language.

Their characteristic large tusks are retractable and housed in a cone-shaped bony socket on the side of their jaw.

A muscle is attached to the bony root of the tooth, and pushes it out. As it slides towards the front of the mouth, the cone socket narrows and wedges a protrusion on the tooth into a hole in the socket, and then the muscle stiffens, locking it in there.

When the tusk retracts, the muscle quickly jimmies the tooth forward then draws it back to get it out of the hole, and then pulls it back into the wider part of the socket.

This is mainly because their tusks are ever growing (but very slowly) but not great at self sharpening, and are their main weapon in self defense and hunting,so it seems this just happened to keep them safe.

If a tusk is broken, as long as it was not cracked at the root, it can be regrown with extensive time in the socket, but otherwise they stay safely stowed in da socket where the majority of its sharp edge can stay protected from chewing and other mouth stuff. Tusks won't start growing in until their teenage years.

They are primarily bipedal/ quadrupedal and switch between the two occasionally.

Knuckle walking helps distribute their top-heavy weight and give them more balance for long and short distance, while walking upright gives them better visibility, less stress on their neck/upper back, and quicker but unsteadier movement.

Their gallop/sprint utilizes both arms and legs to propel them forward in a gait halfway between a bear and a gorilla (since their big mid arms are set like a bears) to overtake prey after an ambush or drive them into the rest of the pack waiting elsewhere. Quad walking also helps them get around in buildings meant for species half their size.

Their hands are some of their only places without hair, but as they age, they loose it on their arms and face too.

Prectikar have different uses for each of their pairs of limbs, and have for all stages of their evolution.

The front ones specialized for grappling prey and grabbing things, and so have a ‘sprawling’ shoulder position like humans and have hands with relatively nimble fingers, the outer two are angled inwards but can also move in a pamprodactyl ish fashion (which acts as their version of a thumb, and lets them switch from big to little grabbing motions) .

Their mid limbs used to be wings with hands, and still have a basically zygodactyl finger position that was helpful for holding onto branches (with the backwards facing finger), but over time they have been converted into terrestrial knuckle-walking limbs, with the one that swings back and forth being brought forwards to walk or swung back to adjust grip on big things they want to move or for balance on unstable terrain like ice . The fingers on this one are big and clumsy, pretty much only useful for digging, walking, or slashing.

Their back limbs also used to be for grasping but were mainly counterbalances, but have now turned into plantigrade walking limbs (and much like humans, that’s pretty much all they use them for). All have nonretractable claws.

Prectikar are viviparous and usually give birth to litters of up to 8.

They have a specific mating season, where their dimorphic traits will become more pronounced.

Males in rut will shed the feathers on their throat sac region and it will become a bright ambery yellow color, and they will also grow in longer feathers on their butt region (in a fan shape for display purposes. The dont have a true post anal tail like humans).

They will also develop some of that pinkish orange/yellow on their chest skin. Females go throguh estrus cycles and will also grow a more prominent butt feather crest, as well as some very long feathers around their neck, shoulders, and abdomen for babies to hold onto.

Their skin patches turn a much brighter shade of yellow to help direct newborns to where they can feed from. Once they give birth, they will start making an oily and thick secretion across the skin patch which is collected into a divot which the infant licks from. Part of why the babies hold onto them is so they can constantly lick the 'milk'so they can grow.

Newborns come out blind and hairless, but quickly grow in a thick down and open their eyes so they can climb on mom.

Once they're weaned, they'll drop off and use the muscles they gained hanging on and climbing to start moving with the adults. They grow very fast, and canes are a common sight in teens to help deal with the rapid bone and muscle growth.

Usually, it is only during this season where chest/skin related nudity standards change to be more conservative, since showing those colors means youre down to fuck and so doing that is usually restricted to in private with their partner or for bachelors.

They have very strict binaries for sex and gender based on this seasonal divide and religion.

Most tribes show gender identity through a piercing on their lower nose for male or chin for female (so dont worry, the main guy up there is showing some male presenting chest outside of the mating season, so hes fine).

Normally, only some cultures pierce their ears, which are like if owls had a little mobile flap of outer ear to swivel I stead of their whole head. Very little of it is actually flesh, and the sound is mainly captured by the feathers around it.

While they have a reputation otherwise, Prectikar are highly social within their tribal/family groups.

They regularly allogroom, greet each other with hugs, and usually travel in sibling groups. Households are multi generational.

They have a reputation as standoffish or irritable because they take things very differently and have other standards/specific body language truggers. also most other species treat them differently/with fear by default.

their upper pair of eyes is larger and focused on long distance vision while their lower pair is for close up vision, creatign a bifocal effect for them when using both at once.

Aaaaaand that oretty much everything, I think. I'll post some other arts related to them soon, but consider this the Master Post on the things you should know about them!!

[asmolfolk]

Boothill Romantic Headcanons.🍓☽。･:*:･

Just a quick heads up: This character had their history and dialogues leaked, if you haven't seen the leaks and don't to be spoiled by the character backstory: Please, save this to read for later! Stay safe! Also, as always: I will always try to make this as neutral as possible. Informations that could potentially be Canon x OC are NOT there (Such as your region, what you work with and etc.) And also, I use He/them for Boothill as I headcanon him as nbmasc!

Fandom: Honkai Star rail. Character: Boothill Idea: "How would the characters be as romantical partners?" TW: SPOILERS! 🍓☽。･:*:･

Boothill

Falling in Love.

Who fell in love first?

He fell first.

If you saw the leaks you know… This man can’t cry, this man lost everything that he once owned. His planet was considered uncivilized from the IPC, he lost everyone he cared about in one day. He became “Boothill”, a cyborg that hated the IPC… And, so, there’s the question: How did you fall for him? He can’t catch this. He doesn’t understand WHY or, better, HOW someone could ever love him. He wasn’t even HUMAN anymore, how could someone love “something” like that? Yet, you came. As a breeze in the summer, as a sweet taste in an unknown mix… You weren’t supposed to have his heart in your hands… But you have. Maybe it was the way you kept on talking to him, kept on helping him out whenever and anywhere. You two started to form some sort of alliance and have someone so pretty, such a pretty pal… Was not okay with his mechanical heart. ━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

How do they notice they have fallen in love?

He couldn’t understand WHY or HOW he fell in love. But, he realized that when he was talking to you and he started to feel some heat when he saw your smile, heard your laugh or just held your hand, he felt like he could combust. This was enough for him to realize that he liked you, but… Not that he was falling in love. He wasn’t stupid, he knew the details - he knew when he was in love with someone, even if he never felt it so deeply like this. But, even then, it was too early. You had known each other only for a few weeks, he decided to wait… And when he noticed some action on your part or even something that he could be delusional over you liking him back… ONLY THEN, he would confess. ━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Confession.

Who confessed first?

It depends.

Now, we came into a difficult subject. Even if I said that he would confess… If he never saw something that could clarify his head and to make sure you like him back, he wouldn’t confess. Now, the reasoning: He already lost so much. Somewhere in his head, being with another person can mean a lot of things… And one of them is feeling, he doesn’t know how he will handle not being able to cry, not being able to feel you with all his body. He doesn’t want to make you suffer… So, if he doesn’t see anything: He wouldn’t confess.

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

And there he was, overthinking every single little thing that happened in those couple of weeks… And he couldn’t get his head in the problem that he built. Do you love him or not?

He was asking himself this question over every communication that you guys had, he would do anything to try to prove to himself that you don’t. Every action you take, everything that you do… Oh, those little things that he loved. Every single movement was put into his hard drive, his memory wouldn’t let him know how much he loves you… And, just like that…

You don’t know how surprised he was when those words came out of your mouth. He would ask you to repeat your confession, again, again and again… IF only he could cry while listening to you, pouring your heart out to him…. Oh, darling, he loves you way too much. He would immediately hold you and spin you around, he wants you to feel what he can’t… To feel his loving hands holding you just like the awesome, pretty and important lil’ thing.

“Hah, Doll… Didn’t expect ya’ to be so forward… Are my actions not enough answer? I want ya’ too. I love ya’… And I don’t think I will ever feel something like this again.” - He said, his words were sugarsweet and held a sincerity that no one could ever see before.

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Now… What if he confesses first? What could potentially happen if Boothill decides: “Fudge this! Let’s do it”?

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

 You knew something was happening when Boothill was not looking directly at you. They seemed to be a bit off today, holding a box that he seemed to grip a bit too strongly while they guided you to a private place.

 It was one of the calmest day in your life… For once, you could enjoy their company happily. You two were alone, sitting close to the hill while looking at the sky… It was already night, but, somehow, you didn’t feel tired.

“Darlin’...” - They called, seemed to be thinking a bit too much before they let the box right in your lap - “Juss’ wanna make sure you… Understand it.”

 When you opened the box, it had everything you talked to them about. Every item you liked, every item you told them you would love to receive from a boyfriend… For a second, you thought they misunderstood you until you reached for a letter, it had their black lipstick and just a simple phrase: “Wanna be my partner forever?” with a silly doodle of them.

 They, seeing your reaction, would say; “Just to make sure: It’s romantical alright? I wouldn’t do this kind of thing for some friend… Just for you.”

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Language of Love.

What's their language of love?

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Quality of Time, Gifts and Words of Affirmation.

Now, HEAR. ME. OUT. This dude, this bro, this cowboy bebop!!!!! They want NOTHING but you to be happy, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU WANT: YOU GET! THEY DON’T SEE REASONS OR ANY ARGUMENT FOR NOT MAKE YOU THEIR QUEENIE/KINGIE/ROYAL! The truth is: Boothill feels like his words, his time and gifts are the only thing that he can do to make things “better”. He can’t… Feel you the way he wants, he can’t cry for you, he can’t provide you with those things - so he provides you with things he can. He can tell you how pretty you are, how amazing you are, how everything you do is incredible. He can gift you - He can give you anything you want, he can go into an adventure and come back with so many gifts that your house gets flooded with them. He normally comes home with a lot of gifts, so: When you pull for him, remember that! He also makes sure to spend lots and lots of time with you. Always making sure for you to feel loved and unmatchable!

“Ma doll, didn’t expect you to be here so soon! Well, look at the goods I got ya. Hm, hm… Yeah, I know that it’s too much, but all of them remind me of ya’ pretty face. Especially those lil’ cat cakes thingies.” - They would chuckle as he saw your reaction… It was those moments that made him sure: He may have lost his family but he found a new one.

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Reaction of your language of love.

Lemme tell you one thing: He doesn’t care, he is gonna take all of your love like the greedy robocop he is. He says he doesn’t have a preference and he is going to love everything you give to him, but the truth is: NOTHING shows him more love than you just being yourself. Not you trying to make him feel loved or anything, just you being you. You doing things you love, you talking to people about your favorite things… All those little situations are enough for him. He loves it. But, being honest here… I think he loves the way you touch his face - THIS MAN IS TOUCH STARVED - it’s actually the only place he can feel. He feels like - for just a moment - you two could be a normal couple. ━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

As boyfriend/partner.

How do they treat you?

Do I need to repeat myself? HE LOOOVES YOU SO SO MUCH! He is 100% one to take you out to many different places just because he wants to see you smiling for a bit. When you two start dating, he seems to be on cloud 9 for the first time in forever… He is still asking you to repeat those three words that make his mechanical heart plump as if it was human's. He still asks you to accompany you instead of asking you for a date. Give him a bit of time, he’s still understanding that you truly accepted his confession and that you didn’t leave him behind. Sometimes, when you two sleep close or together he stops everything he’s doing just to observe you, to have every moment with you in his memory card. In those moments, he normally notices: “You are real, THIS is real.” You would receive double the care on those moments, being treated just like the sweet lil’ thing you are. He would say some corny shit, I will admit. He is the type to make jokes just to crack a smile on you, he is also always trying to make you feel lighter - feel like you have no such thing as a sad day and to make you… Feel like you could fly, be free for once.

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Jealous.

 I’ll tell you: I THINK HE’S A JELLY GUY!  Boothill gets jealous more to think: “You are going to leave him for someone that CAN feel you.” and he just can’t let that happen, right? He wants to be with you and he is scared that, maybe, you will come to the realization that you aren’t interested in this mess anymore.  He is a scared man, scared of losing the only family he has left.

━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━━────━

Resume.

As a boyfriend, Boothill is a sweet and loving one. Yeah, you guys can have REALLY nasty discussions that can only result in both of you getting hurt, but, HE IS ALWAYS THE ONE to come up to you - telling you that you two need to talk without fighting. He is also someone who will cherish you. As I’m married to him I can assure you: He is going to be a perfect hubby… You just need patience!

[breelandwalker]

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences

There are dozens of plant species in the arsenal of the green witch. Commonly-used varieties and usage varies somewhat between traditions, but most of us are fairly familiar with industry standards like basil, bay, rosemary, sage, and so on.

But what do you do when faced with a plant that has no listed magical correspondences anywhere that you can find in your witchcraft library? Simple - you create some.

Allow me to demonstrate with a little plant I found in my own backyard. It's a common weed called Virginia copperleaf (Acalypha virginica). But despite it's widespread range and abundant growth as a field weed, there are surprisingly few references to the plant in regional folk medicine and none at all that I could find in contemporary witchcraft.

So in order to incorporate this hardy little weed into my practice, I set about creating some correspondences for it.

First, I researched the physical properties of the plant. It is a small annual spurge with long taproots, a resistance to drought and many herbicides, and a reputation for fast growth and being difficult to eradicate from fields due to prolific seeding. The leaves turn coppery-red in the fall and small spiky flowers bloom among the foliage. It is also mildly poisonous. The juice of the plant may cause contact dermatitis or a mild rash in some people and if ingested, it may cause GI symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Next, I researched references to the plant in folk medicine. I could only find a single reference that cited copperleaf as a possible diuretic and expectorant. That does track with the previous mention of GI symptoms, but it doesn't mean the plant is safe to use. I did discover that an alternate name for the plant is three-seeded mercury or mercury weed, likely because of its' tendency for fast growth and the fact that it is propagated by the wind.

So now comes the business of creating the correspondences, using the physical properties of the plant as a basis.

The first and most obvious association is strength. Any weed that is resistant to drought and herbicide and uprooting is bound to be useful for spells involving tenacity and fortitude. Prosperity is also a likely use, both because of the name copperleaf and the way in which the plant grows and spreads quickly. Because of the alternate name mercury weed and the wind propagation, it could be used for wind magic or communication spells. (I often associate the element of air with communication and the name of a messenger god is right there as well, but your mileage may vary.)

The plant could also be used as an ingredient for baneful magic, either to bind and frustrate someone's efforts by consuming available ground where their ambitions might grow, or in its' capacity as a mild poison, to cause physical discomfort and stomach trouble.

So in the end, I have a handful of copperleaf and a listing in my witchbook that details the properties of the plant and notes that it could be useful for spells involving strength, tenacity, prosperity, wind, or communication, as well as possible baneful uses including binding, discomfort, and sickness.

This is my system for assigning correspondences to previously-unknown plants, and I encourage readers to use it as a template for their own practices or to create their own system. Either way, I recommend the use of a field guide or plant identification app like PlantNet to properly identify plants as you find them. Remember to forage and harvest responsibly, be a good steward of the land around you, and always label your plant cuttings.

Happy Witching! 💚🌿

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. You can also check out my show Hex Positive wherever fine podcasts are heard. 😊)

More witchcraft exercises here:

[genshinluvr]

Drawn to You

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: You are Lumine, Aether, and Paimon's new traveling companion! Your existence is unknown and the four of you have been journeying around Teyvat, searching for who you are. Unfortunately, there are no records of you existing in any regions of Teyvat. Lumine, Aether, and Paimon introduce you to many new people, who cannot help but be drawn to you.

Note: This is a different version of "how" the reader got Isekai'd into Genshin Impact. I had this idea pop up in my mind two weeks ago and I wanted to get type it out and get it posted ASAP. If you haven't read the other version yet, it's called Crash Landing in Teyvat (linked below). Only this version won't have an entire backstory of the before and aftermath of the reader being Isekai'd into Genshin like the first post. This fic is longer than last week's fic, so, buckle up! To those who are new readers or not, please remember that I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: None that I know of... does the reader getting an allergic reaction to fish count? 🤔

Word Count: 12.8k

Want to read another version of how the reader gets isekai'd into Genshin Impact? Read Crash Landing in Teyvat!

You don’t have any recollection of your memories before you were woken up by two blonde twins towering over you with their floating companion peering down at you worriedly. The only thing you remember is your name, and that’s it. At first, the twins (who later introduce themselves as Aether and Lumine) and their floating companion (she introduced herself as Paimon and in the third person) were a little suspicious of you because of your lack of memory. But the more the twins and Paimon spent time with you, the more they’re starting to trust you. Because they discovered you floating in the ocean between Liyue Harbor and Mondstadt, Aether, and Lumine made it their goal to find out who you are.

You became Aether and Lumine’s other travel companion that isn’t floating! So, their friend, pretty much. Since you didn’t possess a vision, you’re sitting on the sidelines watching Aether and Lumine destroy monsters that stand in the way of your exploration. And now here you are, laying in the middle of the field, five hundred feet from Mondstadt.

“Come on, [Y/N]! Get up! I know you’re tired, but you need to get up so we can get to Mondstadt before the sunset!” Lumine says, nudging your foot with hers. 

You groan and roll over to lie on your stomach. “But Lumineeee! It’s hot outside, and I’m tired!” You exclaim, shutting your eyes and shielding your eyes from the blinding sun rays. 

“Tired from what?! You didn’t fight any hilichurls or mitachurls like Lumine, and I did!” Aether huffs, plopping down on the ground before laying on top of you.

You groan and bat at Aether. “Aether, get off of me! You’re heavy!” 

Lumine rolls her eyes and shakes her head, her hands propped on her hips. “Come on. I know you’re tired, but we can rest up when we make it to Mondstadt. Plus, aren’t you getting a little bit hungry? Cause I’m starting to get hungry,” said Lumine.

On cue, your stomach starts to rumble. You grumble and push Aether off you before getting up from the ground. You dust the dirt and grass off your clothes and turn to the twins. As much as you don’t want to walk, the sound of food is too enticing to give up on. 

“Alright, you got me. Let’s go to Mondstadt now,” you said, smiling sheepishly at the two blondes in front of you.

“Oh, finally! Let’s go now before Good Hunter closes!” Paimon exclaims, appearing out of thin air and stomping her feet in the air with excitement. 

You, Aether, Lumine, and Paimon walk to the closest waypoint (which isn’t close at all) and teleport to Mondstadt. Today will be the first time you visit Mondstadt or any city in the world since your sudden arrival in Teyvat. While you have been traveling with the twins and exploring many locations, you have never stepped foot in any area that is occupied by the people of that region. 

Most of the time, when you need to eat and drink, sleep, or shower, you would go into Aether and Lumine’s shared teapot to do those tasks. After all, that’s what their teapots are for, no? It’s their floating teapot that has a house inside where they can stay and relax during their travels. When the four of you step foot into Mondstadt (technically, it was you, Aether, and Lumine that step foot in Mondstadt. Paimon’s floating), you’re in awe of the architecture of the city around you. 

“Wow, Mondstadt is beautiful,” you whisper.

The aroma of food wafts into your nose, making your stomach growl even louder than it did. Your eyes widen, and you cover your stomach with both hands, your cheeks feeling hot from how loud the growl was. Aether and Lumine snicker at your growling stomach before pulling you to Good Hunter by your arms. You nearly trip over the last step on the stairs, but luckily Aether and Lumine are there to catch you. Paimon is floating in front of Good Hunter, idly chatting with Sara and pointing out what she wants on the menu. You fix your clothes and continue to survey your surroundings.

Paimon pokes you at the back of your head. You blink and turn around, looking at Paimon quizzically. Paimon points at the menu.

“Do you know what you want to eat?” Paimon asks, handing the menu over to you.

You grab the menu and flip through it, trying to find something that appeals to you. Aether and Lumine trade looks with each other, the corner of their lips curving up.

“Paimon, how can [Y/N] know what they want to eat when they haven’t looked at the menu yet?” Lumine asks, propping her hands on her hips.

Paimon scoffs. “Hey, Paimon thinks that [Y/N] knows the basic things on Good Hunter’s menu! After all, they have tried a few things from the menu before!” Paimon exclaims, stomping her feet in the air like a petulant child. 

“I think I’ll have the uh….” you trail off, staring down at the words in front of you, “chicken-mushroom skewer!” you say, closing the menu and handing it back to Sara.

Paimon, Aether, and Lumine stare at you blankly. You stare back at them, unsure why they’re giving you that look after saying what you wanted to eat. You blink, look back at the menu, then at the twins and Paimon.

“Is chicken-mushroom skewer the only thing you’re going to eat? Why not have something that will fill up your stomach?” Paimon asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sara hands the menu to you after Lumine gestures for her to give you the menu. You blink at Paimon and look down at the menu.

“Am I not allowed to eat chicken mushroom skewer? I don’t want the two of you to pay a lot of money on food because of me,” you said.

Lumine brushes your comment to the side. “Oh, don’t worry about Mora, [Y/N]! We would rather have you eat a lot of food than force yourself to eat a little bit because of Mora. Plus, we have plenty of Mora,” Lumine says, patting your shoulder.

“Alright, but I still want to eat chicken mushroom skewers! Don’t take that off my order,” you said.

“Chicken-mushroom skewers, you say? My, don’t you have great taste,” a suave voice coming from behind you interjects.

You freeze in your spot and slowly turn around to face the person that snuck up behind you while you were occupied with the menu.

“Oh, Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc! It’s good to see you two!” Paimon exclaims, waving at the two men standing behind you. 

“What are you two doing here at Good Hunter?” Lumine asks, propping her hands on her hips while she and her brother trade looks with each other. 

The redhead sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. “We’re here to meet up with the Chief Alchemist and the bard for lunch. Lunch is on me, as usual,” the redhead rolls his eyes.

Aether pokes you and points at the menu. “You still haven’t picked your other option,” said Aether.

You turn to look at the menu and pucker your lips, eyes scanning the menu once more. You have tried almost everything on the menu, and yet you’re not sure what you want to eat other than the chicken mushroom skewer. You know that one skewer isn’t going to satiate your hunger, but what else are you going to order? The number of eyes you feel on you is making you nervous. You can feel the heat rush to your face the longer the eyes bore into your soul. 

You laugh nervously and fumble with your hands. “I’m not sure what else to pick to eat, you guys. There’s a lot on the menu that I’ve tried already, but I don’t know what to choose,” You said, turning to look at Aether with a defeated look. 

“Why not pick everything on the menu?” Paimon asks, patting your head. 

You clear your throat and whisper to Paimon, “Remember how I tried doing that last time? And how I ended up puking for the next five hours.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t do that,” a soft voice interrupts. 

Paimon waves at the two approaching figures. “Albedo and Tone-Deaf Bard!” Paimon exclaims.

“That’s not a nice way to introduce me to your new friend, Paimon!” The anemo vision wielder says, turning to you with a sweet smile. “I am Venti, the bard! I’m not sure if these two lads have introduced themselves to you yet, but the grumpy redhead over there goes by Master Diluc. The dark blue-haired man with the eyepatch beside Master Diluc is Captain Kaeya,” Venti says, pointing at the people he’s introducing. 

“I am assuming that the man standing next to you is the Chief Alchemist named Albedo?” You ask, looking over at Albedo.

Albedo nods, not saying a word. 

“We can introduce ourselves to the Travelers’ new friend over lunch,” Kaeya says, shaking his head with a faint smile. 

You look at the four men with surprise. “Oh! The four of you will be joining us for lunch?” You ask, looking at Aether and Lumine for confirmation.

“That wasn’t the original plan, but I don’t mind joining the four of you for lunch,” said Diluc.

“Do you not wish for us to join?” Albedo asks, tilting his head to the side while looking at you curiously.

Your eyes widen, and you quickly shake your head. “No, no, no, no! It’s not like that! I wanted to see if Aether, Lumine, and Paimon would be okay with us having lunch together! After all, the meeting was sudden, and it’d be nice to have someone join us for lunch!” You sputter, rubbing the back of your neck nervously. 

“Alright, then let us all have lunch together then. You can leave the rest of the orders up to us. When the food arrives at the table, you can choose whatever you want to eat,” Diluc says, looking over at you.

You nod and walk to the table next to the food stall, sitting between Aether and Lumine. While Diluc, Kaeya, Venti, and Albedo are ordering food to eat, you rest your chin on the wooden table and close your eyes. You suddenly feel drained. You didn’t expect to be interacting with more people other than Sara from Good Hunter. Let alone four handsome men from Mondstadt, who are also friends with your friends. 

“You never introduced yourself,” Kaeya says, sitting across from you.

You open your eyes and sit up with your back pressing against the chair. “I’m [Y/N],” you introduce yourself.

Venti looks at you curiously. “Judging by your outfit, you don’t look like you’re from here,” Venti says, crossing his legs under the table. 

You shake your head. “And you’re correct, Venti. I’m not from here,” you said.

Now you’re starting to get a tiny bit nervous. What are you supposed to say when they ask you where you’re from? It’s not like you can make up an excuse and tell them you’re from another region. Your clothes don’t look like it's from any of the seven nations of Teyvat. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” Albedo asks, propping both of his arms on the table while gazing at you curiously.

You clear your throat awkwardly and look over at Aether and Lumine, who shrug their shoulders, unsure of how else to answer Albedo’s question. Paimon laughs nervously before disappearing into thin air. Aether, Lumine, and Paimon’s reaction made Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, and Venti raise their eyebrows.

“I’m not sure where I’m from. In fact, I don’t have any memories before waking up to Aether and Lumine giving me CPR,” you reply.

Lumine nods. “We found them floating in the waters outside of Liyue and Mondstadt. They were unconscious, and we tried searching for their records throughout Teyvat, but we came to a dead end,” Lumine explains. 

“That’s strange…. So are you implying that there aren’t any records of their existence in Teyvat?” Diluc asks, raising his eyebrows at you, Aether, and Lumine.

Aether nods and looks over at you anxiously. “There aren’t any records of an [Y/N]’s in any regions of Teyat,” Aether breathes.

“Are you sure [Y/N]’s not lying about their name? What if they changed it, or they lied about their name?” Kaeya questions.

Aether points at Kaeya. “That’s the thing. Lumine and I assumed that at first, but there are no missing person cases in any region. Even if there were a missing person case in Teyvat, none of those people look like [Y/N] in the missing person posters,” Aether explains.

“Could they be another outlander?” Albedo asks.

You stare at the men blankly. “Possibly! But I don’t have any memory of what happened before waking up on the seashore. It’s frustrating not knowing much about myself other than my name,” you mutter, hunching forward and resting your forehead on the wooden table. “Do you know how much of a struggle it is for me to wake up every day not knowing who I am?”

“Oh, cheer up, [Y/N]! I’m sure all of your memories will come back to you soon!” Paimon says, hugging the back of your head while rubbing the top of your head with her left hand. 

“Yeah! I’m sure you’ll get your memories back! It takes some time for you to recover your memories,” Venti says.

Venti gets up from his seat and walks to where you’re sitting. He leans down and engulfs you in his arms, rubbing your back. You let yourself melt in Venti’s comforting hug, resting your head on his shoulders, close to his neck, and closing your eyes. The sound of someone clearing their throat pulls you out of your thoughts. You open your eyes and pull from Venti’s hug, rubbing the back of your neck with a sheepish smile on your face.

About ten minutes later, the food arrives, and you all begin eating while conversing with each other. You ate your chicken mushroom skewer, still undecided about what you wanted to eat other than the food you ordered. Whichever food Kaeya, Diluc, Aether, Venti, and Albedo recommend for you to try, you would take one small piece of the food and try it out. Since you have tried the food these men have suggested, you end up sticking to the chicken mushroom skewers.

“Thank you all for the suggestions, but I’ll stick to what I have ordered. Plus, there were a lot of recommendations, and I don’t know what I want to eat,” you said.

Technically you were lying because you didn’t want to hurt any of their feelings if you were to choose one person’s recommendation over the other. Not only that, if you ate what every person had recommended, you would end up overeating and give yourself indigestion. Which has happened before, and you don’t want it to happen again.

“It’s nice meeting all four of you! I hope to see you all again in the future!” You said, smiling at the four men in front of you while preparing your leave for the next region.

You stretch your arms in the air and yawn, covering your mouth and rubbing the tears that formed in your eyes. To you, you probably look like an exhausted mess, but to the four men in front of you (counting Aether, so five), you look cute. There’s something about you that draws you to them, and they can’t put their fingers on it.

“Oh no, are you getting sleepy?” Lumine teases, poking you lightly in the stomach.

You squawked and batted Lumine’s hands away from your stomach with a flustered look on your face. The men stifled their laugh and quickly looked away when you heard someone snort. You blink at them and look over at Lumine. 

You rub your eyes and sigh. “I always get sleepy after I’m done eating, but since I didn’t eat as much as I did last time, I’m not entirely sure why I’m sleepy,” you mutter.

“You can’t be sleepy now! We’re heading off to Liyue soon! Don’t you want to watch the opera in Liyue Harbor or listen to the Storyteller?” Paimon asks, lightly tugging on your hair. 

“I do! But at least let me take a nap first!” You grumble, leaning on the closest person and closing your eyes.

Lumine gives Kaeya an apologetic smile before pulling you off him. “We should be heading off to Liyue Harbor now. It’s a good thing you bought a souvenir earlier before lunch,” Lumine says, patting your cheeks to make sure you’re awake. 

Before Lumine and Aether pull you away from the group, you turn to them and give them a sleepy smile, and wave goodbye to them.

“Thank you for joining us for lunch! It was nice meeting all of you! I hope to see you all again soon!” You said, stumbling after Aether and Lumine.

Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, and Venti watch you and the twins walk out of the city. While they kind of got to know you within almost two hours, they want to continue to get to know who you are and help you recover your memories if it was possible. After seeing you leave, the four men couldn’t help but feel empty. Maybe someday, fate will bring you back to them. And by fate, they meant the two blonde twins and Paimon.

At Liyue Harbor, you’re leaning against the wooden railing of the Harbor, taking in a deep breath with your eyes closed. When you, Aether, Lumine, and Paimon step foot into Liyue Harbor, they’re almost immediately whisked away by Ying’er for a short commission. While Aether and Lumine are hesitant to leave you alone in Liyue Harbor, Paimon volunteers to be your babysitter while the two are out helping Ying’er with her commission. 

“I’m bored! Let’s go get something to eat while we wait for Aether and Lumine to return from their commission with Ying’er!” Paimon says, floating beside you.

You look over at Paimon with wide eyes. “We ate not too long ago! How are you hungry right now?!” You squeak.

“Paimon is always hungry, [Y/N]! Plus, we can always listen to the Storyteller while we eat!” Paimon says, grabbing onto your shirt's sleeve and tugging it. “Now, come on! We can’t be late!” Paimon exclaims.

You hold Paimon’s hand and shake your head. “Paimon, I think you forgot that we don’t have any Mora on us,” you frown.

“So? We don’t have to eat! We can just sit at an empty table and listen to the Storyteller!” Paimon gives you a pleading look.

You hesitate. “I don’t know, Paimon. What if Aether and Lumine finish Ying’er’s commission early and search for us?” You ask.

Paimon lets out an exasperated sigh. “Ying’er’s shop is close to where the Storyteller is! Don’t be a worry wart, [Y/N]!” 

“Alright, Paimon. But we’re not eating anything because we ate less than an hour ago, and we don’t have any Mora on us.” You let out a sigh of defeat. 

“Deal!” Paimon nods happily.

You let Paimon drag you to Third-Round Knockout in Liyue Harbor while trying to dodge the civilians without bumping into them. When you and Paimon arrive at Third-Round Knockout, you notice that all of the tables are taken and that there’s nowhere for you and Paimon to sit. Well, mainly you since Paimon floats in the air most of the time.

“Aw! There’s nowhere to sit!” Paimon exclaims, looking around with disappointment.

You smile at Paimon and pat her head. “It’s okay, Paimon! We can stand to the side and listen to the Storyteller,” you suggest. 

Paimon shakes her head stubbornly. “No way! It’s unfair if we stand to the side and listen to the Storyteller because you have nowhere to sit, and your feet are going to hurt from standing for a long time!” Paimon says.

“I don’t think we’ll be listening to the Storyteller for that long, Paimon,” You say. “Again, it’s okay if we stand to the side and listen to the Storyteller! Maybe we can grab a table when someone leaves.”

Paimon scans the table at Third-Round Knockout when she sees familiar faces sitting at a table close to the stairs. Paimon perks up and waves her hand in the air to grab the table’s attention.

“Zhongli and Childe!” Paimon grabs onto the sleeves of your shirt and pulls you in their direction.

Zhongli and Childe look up from their meals and sees you and Paimon making your way to their table. You can’t help but feel like a child being dragged around by their parent while going out grocery shopping. The way Paimon pulls you over to these Zhongli and Childe people reminds you of when a mother sees an old friend and ends up having a long conversation with them while the child stands to the side for over five minutes while the adults interact.

“Oh, Paimon! It’s good to see you again! Where are Aether and Lumine?” Childe asks, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

Paimon sighs. “Aether and Lumine are helping Ying’er with her commission right now. I am tasked to babysit [Y/N] here since it is their first time visiting Liyue!” Paimon pats your head.

“Why did you have to put it that way? Why can’t it be two friends hanging out?” You mutter to Paimon while avoiding two pairs of curious eyes.

“Paimon, care to introduce your and the two Travelers’ new friend?” Zhongli speaks up, taking a sip of his tea without taking his eyes off you.

“This is [Y/N]! Aether, Lumine, and I fished [Y/N] out of the ocean,” Paimon pats your head with a smile on her face.

Childe raises his eyebrow at Paimon’s comment. “Fished [Y/N] out of the water? What, are they a mermaid?” Childe asks sarcastically.

“I wish! But unfortunately, I’m an amnesiac,” you reply humorlessly. “Anyway! It’s nice to meet you two! Aether and Lumine have mentioned you two a couple of times to me before. I didn’t expect to run into you two so soon,” you said.

Zhongli sets his chopsticks down on the ceramic plate. “Care to clarify what you mean when you said that you’re an amnesiac?”

You turn to look at Paimon. “Should I?”

Paimon shrugs her shoulders. “That’s up to you!” Replies Paimon.

You and Paimon sit across Zhongli and Childe, explaining your situation and how you end up being Aether, Lumine, and Paimon’s traveling partner. When you mentioned going from region to region to search for your identity and to see if you might be a missing person from the region, it piqued Childe and Zhongli’s curiosity.

“I never popped up in any system. Mondstadt, Sumeru, Inazuma, Liyue, Snezhnaya, Natlan, and Fontaine. None. My name is [Y/N], and I am sure that I did not change my name, and without a doubt, I am certain that [Y/N] is my name,” you said, rubbing the napkin between your thumb and index finger.

“Strange, huh?” Paimon asks, looking over at the two men sitting across from you and Paimon. “[Y/N], you should try this food! It’s delicious!” Paimon changes the subject, pushing the plate of fish in your direction.

You give Paimon a look. “Paimon, this is their food. I’m not going to eat another person’s food, plus I’m still full from earlier,” you said, rubbing your stomach.

“It’s alright. You two can have some of our food. I think we ordered too much anyway,” Childe says, letting his chopsticks clatter on the plate.

You sigh and grab an unused chopstick, breaking off a piece of fish before taking a bite out of it. You chew and swallow the fish, placing the chopstick on the plate. Paimon looks at you with anticipation.

“So? What do you think?” Paimon asks excitedly.

You lick your lips and look around you, smacking your lips lightly. “You know how I have no memory of who I am?” You suddenly ask.

Paimon, Childe, and Zhongli look at you quizzically. “Uh, yes?” Paimon replies in an unsure tone.

“I don’t think I was a fan of seafood or fish, to be more specific,” you said, scrunching your face and rubbing your neck with your right hand.

“What?! What kind of person isn’t a fan of seafood or fish!?” Paimon exclaims.

After hearing Paimon’s exclamation, Childe slowly turns to look at the Liyuen man next to him. Zhongli ignores the look Childe is giving him and quietly takes a sip of his tea. Your mouth is starting to tingle and feel weird, making you furrow your eyebrows and silently smack your lips, deep in your thoughts.

“People who have eaten too many fish and seafood, apparently,” you reply, attempting to ignore the strange sensation in your mouth.

The inside of your throat begins to itch, making you shift around in your seat and clear your throat softly. Ever since you arrived in Teyvat, you have never had such a reaction after eating something. Could you be allergic to the dish?

You cough and rub your throat, eyebrows knitting together with discomfort. Zhongli looks up from his teacup and looks at you worriedly.

Paimon taps your shoulders. “Are you okay, [Y/N]? You’re coughing a lot, and it’s starting to make Paimon worried,” Paimon says.

You give Paimon a weak smile and swallow the saliva, almost visibly wincing when you feel the walls in your throat rub against each other uncomfortably. “My throat is feeling dry and a bit itchy,” you said.

“Do you, perhaps, want some tea to quench your dry throat?” Zhongli asks.

You look at Zhongli and nod your head eagerly. “Ah, a drink! Yes, please, that would be nice.” You croak. 

You clear your throat again while Zhongli calls the waiter over to order you some tea to quench your dry throat. While the waiter went to fetch you something to drink, you continued to rub your neck with your hand, occasionally swallowing to feel the strange sensation in your throat. You look down at the fish and grab your chopsticks, poking it lightly and dissecting it apart to see what is inside of the food. The fish tastes decent; you’re only saying that because you’re not a massive fan of anything seafood or any food with fish. 

When the waiter comes back with your teacup, you give him a thankful smile before lifting the cup to your lips and blowing on it to cool the tea down and take a sip of it. When you drink the tea, you can’t help but wince at the feeling when it goes down your throat. You scratch your neck and cough lightly into your elbow. When you pull your arm away from your face, you notice small bumps forming on your arms.

“Oh no,” you squeak, looking around nervously. “Hey, uh, does anyone know where I can go to the nearest doctor? Or some physician?” You ask, tapping your fingers on the table anxiously.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Paimon asks.

You continue to scratch your neck; you fear that the more your neck itches, the more you will tear your neck up with your nails. “I just found out that I’m allergic to fish,” you sigh.

The sound of chopsticks clattering loudly on the fine china; Childe and Zhongli look at you worriedly, getting up from their seats. 

“How allergic are you?” Childe asks, walking over to you.

You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t know how severely allergic I am, but my mouth feels tingly, my throat is itching, and there are bumps forming on my arms,” You ramble, trying to soothe the irritations. 

“Get [Y/N] to Bubu Pharmacy immediately,” Zhongli orders.

Childe lifts you up, carries you bridal style, and sprints to the nearest waypoint, with Zhongli and Paimon following close behind. When teleported to the waypoint that is closest to Bubu Pharmacy, Childe rushes up the stairs toward the building. You feel your throat beginning to close up, making it hard for you to breathe. Childe bursts through the entrance, startling the receptionist and other customers.

A green-haired man with a snake around his neck walks out of the back room, looking at Childe, Zhongli, Paimon, and you with confusion. When his eyes lands on you, he looks horrified. You don’t know what you look like, and quite frankly, you don’t want to see what you look like.

“Qiqi, please treat to the Yaksha while I treat the new visitors,” The green-haired man instructs. The little girl nods and walks over to the Yaksha off to the side. The green-haired man rushes over to you and checks up on you and the bumps forming on your arms.

“They’re having a severe allergic reaction. Did they happen to eat something they’re allergic to?” The green-haired physician asks, walking behind the counter and scrambling to find medicine to treat your allergic reaction.

Paimon laughs nervously. “They ate fish, but that was it! Doctor Baizhu, we didn’t know they’re allergic to fish, and neither did they!” Paimon exclaims.

Baizhu walks over to you and jabs your thigh with a long syringe, injecting you with the medicine to treat your allergic reaction. You feel yourself go limp in Childe’s arms, exhaustion coming over you. The swelling in your throat gradually goes away, finally letting you breathe. 

Baizhu retracts the syringe from your thighs and tosses it into the trash bin. “You’re lucky to get them here just in time before it gets worse,” Baizhu sighs, looking over at you worriedly. 

“Yeah, very lucky,” you mutter, your head resting against Childe’s chest, gazing at the green-haired physician with bleary eyes. “I didn’t even know that I was allergic to fish until moments ago,” you said.

“Humans are fragile,” Someone interjects.

You peek your head from Childe’s shoulder, only to see a shorter male stand beside Zhongli with his arms over his chest. You notice a bandage wrapped around his arms and torso, his eyebrows slightly furrowing. You couldn’t tell if he was glaring at you or if it was because he was in pain. Either way, he did not look too happy.

Baizhu looks over at Xiao with a surprised look on his face. “Oh, Xiao! You have recovered quicker than I thought,” Baizhu says thoughtfully. 

Xiao grunts in response and nods. “It’s all thanks to your medicine and Qiqi’s help,” Xiao says, looking over at the small girl behind the counter. 

Childe sits you down on a seat in the corner of the pharmacy. You rest your head against the wall, your eyelids feeling heavy. You’re not sure whether your sudden tiredness was from the medicine that was injected into you to treat your allergic reaction, or if it was because you had a long day and if it’s finally taking a toll on you.

You’re about to doze off when you feel someone nudge your leg with their foot. You open your eyes and see Xiao standing in front of you.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

You stare at him and nod your head slowly. “Yeah, I’m feeling better than I did before arriving at Bubu Pharmacy,” you reply, clearing your throat. You’re relieved that the itchiness in your throat and the swelling went away. The bumps, on the other hand, the bumps are still there, but they’re slowly fading. 

“That’s good to hear. Paimon, Zhongli, that Harbinger, and Doctor Baizhu looked really worried when you first arrived at the pharmacy,” said Xiao. “After seeing the condition you were in, I can see why they were terrified.” 

You smile at Xiao and rub the area where Baizhu had jabbed the syringe into your thigh. “I’m glad they cared enough to help me with my allergic reaction. I didn’t know I was allergic to fish until today, and now, I will be avoiding food with fish in it,” you said.

Before Xiao could say anything else, the door of Bubu Pharmacy flew open, and Lumine and Aether ran through the door, looking around frantically. When their eyes land on you, Aether runs and tackles you into a hug, nearly tipping your seat back and sending the both of you to the ground if it weren’t for the wall behind the chair. Lumine laughs nervously when people look over at your small group weirdly. Lumine shuffles over to where you and Aether are, yanks Aether off you, and gives him a look as if she’s telling him to behave. 

“Where were you guys?! We thought you and Paimon would still be at the docks where we left you two before doing Ying’er’s commission!” Lumine exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest while glaring at you and Paimon.

“Where were we?! Where were you two!? We couldn’t stand and wait in the hot sun for a few hours while you two were running around with Ying’er! Plus, Paimon wanted to hear the Storyteller’s stories!” Paimon exclaims, huffing loudly. 

“She also wanted to get something to eat while we waited,” you interject, getting up from your seat. “I also found out that I am allergic to fish. I think it’s severe,” you add.

“You think it’s severe? Your throat closed up, and you had hives!” Paimon exclaims.

You blink at Paimon. “But I’m okay now, right?” 

Everyone can see the steam starting to come out of Paimon’s ears. “You’re okay now because of Zhongli, Childe, and Doctor Baizhu! If it weren’t for them, you would’ve died!” Paimon screeches, shaking you by your shoulders. 

“Hey! I almost died, and this is how you treat me!? You’re so mean!” You whine. 

You pull Paimon’s hands from your shoulders before hiding behind Zhongli; he looks strong and intimidating. You point at Paimon.

“Tell her to stop, Zhongli! Paimon is being mean to me despite me almost dying from my allergies.” You peek from behind Zhongli and narrow your eyes at Paimon, who glares back at you.

Lumine sighs and rubs her temples. “We don’t have time for you two to bicker right now. We have to leave for Inazuma very soon,” said Lumine.

You walk out from behind Zhongli and stare at Lumine quizzically. “We’re going to Inazuma already? But we arrived in Liyue not too long ago!” You exclaim.

“Yeah! Plus, you two have been out with Ying’er all day! We might as well eat something in Liyue before we leave for Inazuma!” Paimon says.

“Again?” Your eyes widen, and your eyebrows fly to your hairline. “Okay, listen, if we’re going to eat again, please don’t order anything that has fish in it,” you plead, clasping your hands together. 

And now here you are, sitting at Xinyue Kiosk, sitting between Zhongli and Childe while Aether, Lumine, Paimon, Xiao, and Doctor Baizhu are sitting across from the three of you. The food that is brought out and placed in front of the eight of you, you nearly cried. The majority of the food has fish in it. One food, in particular, has caught your attention. You’re about to reach for the fullmoon egg when you see Zhongli shake his head from the corner of your eyes.

“The fullmoon egg has fish in it,” Zhongli says.

You point over at the golden shrimp balls. “Can I eat these? Or is it going to make me go into another allergic reaction?” You ask.

“As long as you don’t have shellfish allergies, then you should be fine,” said Baizhu.

You stare at Baizhu for a moment before shrugging your shoulders. “You only live once,” you said, grabbing a golden shrimp ball and taking a bite out of it. The golden shrimp ball is delicious; luckily, you didn’t have any allergic reaction to the shrimp balls. It’s a good thing you’re not allergic to shellfish because the golden crab got your attention. You reached across the table and took a piece of the golden crab, and put it on your plate before grabbing the small bowl of rice and pouring a small amount of soy sauce on the rice. As much as you would love to try the other dishes in the center of the table, most of them contain fish, and you weren’t that hungry.

You’re still full from lunch earlier in Mondstadt. You eat your food in silence while people around you converse with each other. You subconsciously rub your throat and look at your hands, checking to see if the hives have gone away. To your relief, the bumps are gone, and your neck feels fine. There’s no itchiness and swelling, thank archons. 

“Then we’ll be leaving for Inazuma after,” you hear Lumine say.

You look up at Lumine and blink at her. “So, your plan is that we travel to other nations within one day?”  You ask, raising your eyebrows at her.

Lumine nods her head slowly. “Yes, and you did say that you wanted to meet our,” she gestures between herself and Aether, “friends in the nations we have traveled to! So it’ll be nice to finish it in one day and continue our mission.”

“Huh, I forgot that I wanted to do that,” you mutter, pinching the fat of your chin with your lips puckered. “I don’t mind going to Inazuma after eating, but I think we should rest for a bit before going to Inazuma.”

“If you’re getting sleepy, you can always lay your head on my shoulders and take a nap,” Childe suggests, turning to look at you.

You look at Childe, surprised. “Um, are you sure? Plus, I don’t think it's appropriate for me to take a nap at a nice restaurant like this,” you said, laying your hands fall in your lap. “Actually, I think I’m going to get some fresh air! Hopefully, that’ll wake me up a little bit,” you said.

You give everyone a smile and excuse yourself. You leave Xinyue Kisok and sit on the ground, leaning your head against the wall and closing your eyes. When you left Xinyue Kiosk, you noticed that the sun was beginning to set and there weren’t many people around. 

You hear the restaurant’s door open and someone hesitantly walking towards you by the way they stop halfway. You crack your eyes open and see Xiao standing in front of you, looking at his and your surroundings. You rub your eyes and slowly stand up.

“Xiao? What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside with the rest of them?” You ask, rubbing your arms.

Xiao looks at you. “I can say the same for you,” he replies. 

“I’m getting some fresh air. I’m hoping it’ll wake me up, but the cool night air is making me even sleepier than I thought,” you sigh.

Without saying another word, Xiao sits down beside you and makes you lay your head on his shoulders. You scoot closer to Xiao and rest your head in the crook of his neck, your arms brushing against his. You feel yourself slowly beginning to doze off to sleep, but you’re awoken by the cool breeze. You shiver and open your eyes, rubbing them with your knuckles. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to nap out here when it’s cold,” you mutter. You continue to rest your head on Xiao’s shoulders. “Thank you for keeping me company, even though you didn’t need to do it,” you murmur. 

Xiao grunts in response, the tips of his ears light pink along with the apples of his cheeks. You lift your head, and Xiao stands up, holding his hand out for you to take. You grab Xiao’s hand, and he helps you up from the ground. The two of you walk back into Xinyue Kisok, only to see everyone standing from their seats. 

“Oh, is everyone done eating?” You ask, walking over to the table with Xiao walking beside you.

Baizhu looks at you and examines you from head to toe. “How are you feeling?” Baizhu asks.

You rub your leg and give him a thumbs up. “I’m feeling good! The area where you jabbed my leg with the syringe isn’t hurting anymore,” you said. 

“Are you ready to go to Inazuma?” Aether asks, walking up to you with Lumine trailing behind him. 

You nod your head. “Yeah, I’m ready to go! But, uh, where are we going to be staying when it's time for bed?” You ask.

Lumine chuckles and ruffles your hair. “Did you forget that we have a house to stay in the teapot?” Lumine asks, raising her eyebrows at you.

“Oh! Right, yeah, I forgot about the teapot,” you laugh sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m a little bit out of it,” you clear your throat.

“Hey, it’s okay! You had a bit of a rough start in Liyue. Hopefully, it’ll get better in Inazuma!” Paimon says, giving your head a comforting head pat. 

“I hope so too,” you sulk.

Zhongli ends up offering to walk you, Aether, Lumine, and Paimon to the nearest waypoint so you four can go to your next destination. Childe, Xiao, and Baizhu decide to tag along; they say something about wanting to keep the funeral consultant company. Before walking to the waypoint, you stop in your tracks.

“Ah, crap. Is it too late for me to buy a souvenir before we leave Liyue?” You ask, searching for a shop nearby.

Paimon snorts. “With what Mora?” Paimon asks.

You look at Paimon with your mouth agape. “You didn’t need to call me out like that, Paimon.” You huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “And for your information, I do have Mora on me!” You said, pulling out a bag of Mora from your pockets with a proud smirk on your face. 

You end up stopping by the closest jewelry shop in Liyue, buying a Liyuen hair stick with cor lapis, glaze lilies, and glaze lily petals decorating the gold hair stick. 

“It looks pretty! You should wear it now!” Lumine says.

You stare at her blankly and scratch your head. “Can someone help me put it on? I’m afraid I might mess it up and not wear it correctly,” holding out the hair sticks.

Baizhu walks over to you and begins to style your hair, combing his fingers through your hair and putting one part of your hair into a bun and the other remaining down. After getting your hair to be the way he wanted it to be, Baizhu grabs the hair sticks from your hands and sticks them through your hair, letting the glaze lily petals dangle.

You turn to Baizhu and give him a smile. “Thank you for helping me, Baizhu!” 

Baizhu clears his throat and gives you a smile in return, his cheeks turning bright pink when you smile at him. You run over to Lumine, Aether, and Paimon to show your new hairstyle with the hair sticks in your hair. Lumine twirls you around and compliments your hair. Aether stares at you with stars in his eyes, unable to take his eyes away from you. Paimon was the first one to notice and slowly turned to look at the four guests. They were also looking at you that way, unaware that they were staring at you with the same expression Aether had on his face.

“I think we should get going now. Wouldn’t want to arrive in Inazuma when everyone is asleep,” Paimon says, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Oh! Right! Let's go!” Lumine says, pulling you to the waypoint with the others following behind.

When you, Aether, Lumine, and Paimon arrive at the waypoint, the four of you stand around the waypoint. You wave at Xiao, Zhongli, Childe, and Baizhu goodbye before placing your hand on the waypoint. They wave back at you, watching the four of you disappear in front of their eyes. They hope to see you again; there’s something about you that draws them to you, and they can’t put their fingers on it. 

When you all step into Inazuma, the sun has already set, and night has fallen. You turn to look at the twins and Paimon.

“It’s nightfall. Do you think everyone is awake at a time like this?” You ask.

Aether shrugs his shoulders. “Who knows! Some are awake, and others might be asleep around this time, but it’s still early in the night,” says Aether.

“I think you meant to say that the night is still young,” Paimon says.

The four of you walk into Inazuma City, searching around for the first person that came into Aether and Lumine’s head. The smell of Inazuman food lingers in the air, making your mouth water. The sound of children laughing, people conversing, and food sizzling fills the night in Inazuma City. 

“Oh, look! It’s Heizou and Itto!” Paimon says, pointing over at where Itto and Heizou are standing.

You turn to look in the direction where Paimon is pointing. You see a magenta-haired male standing beside a tall, horned white-haired man with red streaks in his hair. Approaching the two men are a platinum blond-haired man with a single orange streak in his hair and a light orange-brown-haired man with dog ears.

“And there’s Gorou and Kazuha!” Lumine crosses her arms over her chest. “I wonder if the other two are going to join after Gorou and Kazuha,” Lumine murmurs, stroking her chin.

You look at Lumine quizzically. “Other two?” You ask.

“She’s talking about Kamisato Ayato and Thoma,” replies Aether.

“Let’s go say hi to the four of them!” Paimon says, ushering you, Lumine, and Aether over to the four men.

As you’re approaching the four men, the oni spots you four. Itto’s eyes light up, and he waves in your direction with a big smile.

“Aether! Lumine! Floating lavender melon! It’s good to see you guys again!” Itto says, walking toward you, Paimon, Aether, and Lumine. 

You stifle your laughter. “Floating lavender melon? Care to explain how you got that nickname, Paimon?” You ask, turning to look at the floating girl with a teasing smile. 

“Oh? And who are you?” Heizou asks, gazing at you with interest. “A new face around the city? If I've seen one, I would recognize a pretty face, but this is the first time I see you.” Heizou smiles at you.

“Are you the Travelers’ new friend?” Kazuha asks, his head tilting to the side.

You smile at them shyly and nod your head. “Yes, I am Aether, Lumine, and Paimon’s new friend! I guess you can also say traveling companion since I have been traveling around Teyvat with the three of them not too long now,” you said. 

“Gorou, Itto, Heizou, Kazuha, meet [Y/N]! [Y/N], meet Itto, Gorou, Kazuha, and Heizou!” Paimon introduces you to the four men in front of you, pointing at each person as she says their name.

“Lord Ayato and Thoma will be arriving shortly,” Gorou interjects.

You look at them curiously. “Oh! Are you all gathering for dinner?” You ask.

Itto shakes his head. “Nope! We are all meeting for tea and some beetle fight!” Itto says, propping his hands on his hip and striking a pose. 

You blink at Itto owlishly. “What is a beetle fight?” You ask.

“Huh!? You’ve never heard of a beetle fight?!” Itto asks in disbelief, his eyes wide with genuine shock.

You shake your head, looking at Itto confused. “Is it part of Inazuma’s culture?” 

“It’s not. It’s a game that Itto came up with and challenged many people to it,” Gorou replies. “That is why he has invited Lord Ayato to the Komore Teahouse. To have some tea and to challenge the Kamisato Heir to another round of the beetle fight.” Gorou adds. 

“He lost the previous rounds to Lord Ayato, didn’t he?” You whisper.

“That is correct, and he has not stopped pestering me about it ever since,” a voice speaks up behind you and Gorou, startling the both of you. 

You and Gorou turn around to see a tall, elegantly dressed, light-blue-haired man and a tall, blond man standing at his side. You clutch onto your chest and clear your throat, feeling your face heat up when both men look at you curiously. 

“H-Hi! I presume that you’re Lord Ayato,” you point at the light-blue-haired man, “and you’re Thoma,” you said, pointing at the blond man standing beside Lord Ayato. 

“You’re correct! It’s nice to meet you, [Y/N]! Aether and Lumine had mentioned you a few times when they were visiting the Kamisato Estate when running errands,” says Thoma, smiling at you. 

“Now that everyone is here, I think we should go to Komore Teahouse now,” says Heizou, gesturing for everyone to follow him. 

When you all arrive at Komore Teahouse, you’re all greeted by a dog that goes by the name of Taroumaru. You refrained from letting out the biggest squeal after seeing the absolute cutie before casually making your way over to the dog and petting it.

“You all can go beetle fighting. I’m going to hang out with my new friend,” you said, stroking Taroumaro’s ears happily. “So cute,” you coo.

“We don’t want to leave you out, [Y/N]. Care to join us and watch the battle between Itto and Lord Ayato?” Kazuha asks, holding his hand out for you to take. 

Not wanting to seem rude, you take Kazuha’s offer and grab his hand, letting him guide you to the tea room where everyone is waiting. There on the table sits two large purple onikabutos. When you say that they’re huge, they are huge! 

You back up and point at the onikabutos, eyes wide. “They’re huge,” you point out the obvious.

“Yeah! It’s a shame I couldn’t find any bigger ones, though,” Itto says, hunching over with a small pout on his face. 

You look at Itto in horror. “Are you saying there are onikabutos that are the size of Paimon?” You point over at Paimon. 

“Believe it or not, yeah! There are onikabutos that can grow up to the size of Paimon, maybe bigger than Paimon,” Thoma says, nodding his head. 

You point over to the corner. “I’m just going to stand from a safe distance to watch the beetle fight between Itto and Lord Ayato,” you said, walking to the farthest part of the room.

There’s no way in hell you’re going to stand that close to onikabutos that are almost half your size. No way, no thank you! In fact, you don’t mind booking it to Sumeru immediately if you can! But seeing Aether, Lumine, and Paimon happily munch on Dangos while betting on who’s going to win the beetle fight, you decide to keep to yourself. Lord Ayato laughs to himself and sits behind his onikabuto while Itto sits across from him, hyping up his onikabuto. 

“Who do you think is going to win, [Y/N]?” Heizou asks, looking over his shoulders and in your direction.

You blink at Heizou and look at Itto and Lord Ayato. “I’m going to be optimistic and say Itto! Lord Ayato may have won the previous rounds of the beetle fight; I have a feeling Itto might win this one!” You said.

“Let’s hope you’re right because if Itto loses, we won’t hear the end of it,” Gorou says, his ears flattening on his head. “Itto won’t stop until he wins.” 

Itto and Lord Ayato start to shout incoherent words at each other and their onikabutos, startling you. You find it amusing that someone as refined as Lord Ayato would be playing beetle fight with the one and oni, Arataki Itto. You hide your smile behind your hands and watch the two beetles try to flip the other one over. 

“beetle fight is quite intense, especially if you’re as competitive as Itto,” Kazuha says, leaning against the wall beside you. “Would you ever play beetle fight?” Kazuha asks suddenly, looking at you from the corner of his eyes. 

“Oh, uh, I don’t think so. I would rather be the cheerleader than the one initiating the fight,” you laugh sheepishly. 

Itto hollers from across the room, “Oh, come on, [Y/N]! You should totally try it out! I’ll be your coach and teach you everything you need to know about the art of beetle fights!” 

Lord Ayato snorts. “I’m sure [Y/N] would want someone skilled to be their coach. I have won many beetle fights against you, Itto. Surely I’m the better candidate,” Lord Ayato says nonchalantly, smiling at Itto.

“Let’s not trash talk right now, Lord Ayato. I think you’re going to set Itto off,” Thoma laughs nervously, patting the Kamisato Heir’s shoulders. “But if [Y/N] does want to get into beetle fighting, I’m sure having both of you as their coach would help them a lot! Right, [Y/N]?” Thoma asks, turning to look at you with a nervous smile. 

You nod after catching onto what Thoma is trying to imply. “Ah! Yes! That’s right! Why have one coach when you can have two? I’ll learn more knowledge from two different people!”

Lord Ayato sighs and leans back. “Alright, if two coaches are what you want, then two coaches is what you’ll get,” said Lord Ayato. 

Your conversation is cut short when you hear Aether and Lumine cheer and gasp loudly. You look at the table and see Lord Ayato’s onikabuto flipped on its back, wiggling and squirming around while Itto’s onikabuto is victorious. 

“The winner of this beetle fight is Itto’s onikabuto!” Paimon announces. 

Kazuha chuckles. “My, my, it seems like you have predicted Itto’s victory, [Y/N],” Kazuha says, looking at you with a soft smile.

You feel yourself blush, and you awkwardly look at the table. Itto got up from his seat and ran in your direction before tackling you into a bone-crushing hug. You let out a loud yelp when Itto hugs you tightly, your back audibly cracking. Itto freezes and looks down at you with wide eyes, slowly putting you back on the ground.

“Was that the sound of [Y/N]’s back cracking?” Thoma asks, looking at the others in horror. 

Lord Ayato sighs and looks at you worriedly. “It seems like Itto has underestimated his strengths,” Lord Ayato mutters. Lord Ayato walks to you and places a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Are you alright, [Y/N]? Perhaps you need to see a doctor?” asks Lord Ayato.

You laugh and shake your head, patting Itto and Lord Ayato’s hands. “No need to worry about me! I needed my back to be cracked. It’s been a rough few days, and it’s nice to have my back popped,” you said, rubbing your shoulder. 

Heizou sighs, feigning sadness. “Looks like I won’t be taking you into custody this time, Itto. Shinobu won’t have to worry about getting a notice from the Tenryou Commission about Itto’s detainment,” Heizou crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Taking him into custody this time? Itto’s been in prison before?” You ask, looking at Itto with your eyebrows raised.

Itto laughs and rubs the back of his neck, trying to find an excuse. You snort and shake your head, patting Itto’s back. As much as you want to question him about his…. Criminal history, you think it’s best to save it for next time. But for now, you have some Inazuman tea and snacks to try out! Even though you ate not too long ago in Liyue. You’re starting to think that this whole “meeting up with a friend’s friend” is actually a way to get you to test your limits on how much you can eat. While you don’t mind trying various cultural dishes, you’re praying that your stomach won’t be negatively affected when you eat more than you can chew.

After having tea, snacks, and conversing with the Inazuman men, you find yourself standing at the waypoint with Lumine, Aether, and Paimon. The night is still young, and you’re all about to go to Sumeru. All the walking and teleporting to different regions were starting to wear you out, and you could feel it. Right when you’re about to touch the waypoint with the twins and Paimon, Heizou calls out to you. You turn in Heizou’s direction and see him running up to you, holding something out to you.

“Ah! How could I forget about my souvenir?” You gasp, grabbing the item from Heizou’s hand and giving him a thankful smile. 

The souvenir that you almost left in Inazuma is a hand fan that the men have picked out for you! Since you’re unsure what to get at the gift shop in Inazuma City, the men offered to pick something out for you collectively. Heizou smiles at you, walks over to where the others are standing, and turns to face your direction.

“We’ll be back soon! But for now, off to Sumeru!” You said, waving to the six Inazuman men with a big (yet sleepy) smile on your face.

Before any of the Inazuman men could say anything, you, Lumine, Aether, and Paimon were gone from their sight. Thoma visibly flinches when he feels a strange tug in his chest, the feeling of emptiness hitting everyone out of the blue. Even though the meeting with you was brief, the men couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity when it came to you, and the emptiness hitting them all was strange. Everyone wanted to go after you to keep you company in Sumeru, but they couldn’t chase after you— especially after you said you’d be back soon.

Upon arriving in Sumeru, you are on the brink of falling asleep. This is the first time you have traveled with the twins without a nap between teleporting to different nations. Your eyelids feel heavy, your limbs feel heavy, and you want to go to sleep. You find yourself falling asleep on Aether’s shoulders when you feel him nudge you when footsteps get closer to where you, Paimon, Lumine, and Aether are sitting.

“Apologies for having us all meet here at Puspa Cafe late in the evening. I hope that none of you have work to tend to. It’s better to meet in the late evening because there’s less foot traffic in Sumeru City,” you hear a man say.

An exasperated voice replies, “All you do is think about yourself, Al Haitham! Some of us are tired and had a long day at work as architects, such as myself! And look at Aether and Lumine’s friend! That poor thing is exhausted too!” 

You perk up and look at the irritated blond man with shock. “Did you just call me a thing?” You ask.

The dark-haired man with giant furry ears laughs nervously. “Kaveh doesn’t mean it like that, [Y/N]. Kaveh is irritated with Al Haitham, and I apologize in advance for both of them because they bicker with each other a lot,” he gives you a sympathetic smile. 

“You’ll get used to the bickering,” the white-haired man says.

A man wearing a hat approaches the table. “I’m still not used to hearing them bicker,” he says, rolling his eyes. 

Paimon clears her throat, glaring at the five men in front of her. “[Y/N]! Meet Al Haitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno, and Scaramouche. Scaramouche goes by many names, but we don’t talk about that,” said Paimon.

“It’s nice to meet all of you! I, uh, apologize for wanting to meet all of you suddenly. I think it would be great to meet all of Lumine, Aether, and Paimon’s friends from all nations while I continue to search for who I am,” you said politely. 

Kaveh looks at you curiously. “Oh? Are you going on a spiritual journey?” Kaveh asks, resting his arms on the table.

“No,” you shake your head, “I’m amnesiac, and I don’t know where I’m from or who I am,” you reply. 

Tighnari’s eyes light up. “Oh! So you’re the mysterious outlander friend that Aether and Lumine have fished out of the ocean!” Tighnari points at you with acknowledgment.

Cyno elbows Tighnari’s side, making the man wince and glare at him. “It’s not nice to point your fingers at someone you don’t know,” Cyno scolds Tighnari. 

Al Haitham looks at you closely. “Judging by your clothes, you don’t look like you’re from any regions in Teyvat,” said Al Haitham.

“Let’s not point out the obvious, Al Haitham. Lumine and Aether have mentioned it a few times already. It’s not an unknown fact that [Y/N] isn’t from any of the regions,” Scaramouche rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in his seat across from you. 

You sit in silence while the others around you continue to discuss your origins. While they’re talking with each other, you let yourself space out and stare at the table in front of you. The pastries that were ordered, along with the drinks, look appetizing. But since you ate so much food before arriving in Sumeru, you’re not sure if you can try something new. 

You stare at the pastry in front of you, debating whether you should eat it. You decide not to eat the pastry in front of you and sit back in your seat with your head resting on the top rail. You’re tired, and as much as you want to join in on the conversation, you can’t get yourself to do it. You get up from your seat and walk out of Puspa Cafe without saying a word, trying to rub the sleep from your eyes. 

The chilly night air hits you like a sumpter beast, sending violent chills down your spine. You lean against the wooden railing outside the cafe and close your eyes, letting the cool breeze lull you to sleep. The temperature is the perfect temperature to fall asleep in; if only you were in a bed, snuggling in your blanket, and drifting off to sleep, everything would have been perfect. But instead, you’re outside Puspa Cafe, falling asleep on the wooden railing while everyone else is inside, talking to each other. 

“Wow, you must be exhausted from today’s event,” a voice startles you awake.

Your eyelids fly open, and your head snaps in the person’s direction. Dainsleif emerges from the shadows and gazes at you with an amused look on his face. You feel your face heat up, and you look away from the blond man that now stands before you.

“Although I don’t blame you for feeling this way. You have been traveling region to region with Aether and Lumine, meeting new people,” Dainsleif says casually, leaning on the railing beside you. 

You rub your eyes. “Have you been watching our every move, Dainsleif?” You ask, poking his biceps. 

“Watching? No. Making sure that you, Aether, Lumine, and Paimon travel safely? Yes,” replies Dainsleif.

You sigh and rest your head on Dainsleif’s shoulder, catching him off guard. Dainsleif stands still and looks at you from the corner of his eyes. You look like you could pass out at any moment. Silence hangs in the air between you two, and the sound of crickets fills the air.

“You know, you can join us on our journey. You don’t have to watch us from a distance and be alone,” you murmur.

Dainsleif doesn’t respond. Instead, his blue eyes gaze at the stars that hang over the two of you, then in your direction. Before Dainsleif could say anything, the door to Puspa Cafe opens, and the others step out into the night, stopping in their tracks when they see you leaning against Dainsleif.

“Dainsleif! What are you doing here?” Paimon asks.

Tighnari points at Dainsleif. “Is he your boyfriend by any chance?” Tighnari asks. For a brief moment, Tighnari looks hurt, almost heartbroken. 

You look at Tighnari with wide eyes and shake your head. “He’s not my boyfriend, Tighnari.” 

A massive wave of relief washes over five men standing before you and Dainsleif. You remove your head from Dainsleif’s shoulders and stretch your arms, yawning.

“You suddenly left Puspa Cafe. Is there a reason why?” Cyno asks, his eyes trailing over to the tall blond man beside you. 

You rub your cold arms and shake your head. “Other than needing fresh air, hoping it’ll wake me up? Not really,” you reply. 

Kaveh points at Dainsleif dramatically. “He doesn’t look like he’s from Teyvat. Look at his clothes and his mask! Speaking of his clothes, look at his cape! It looks almost identical to Paimon’s cape,” Kaveh says, eyes scanning Dainsleif from head to toe.

Al Haitham rolls his eyes. “Oh, don’t be dramatic, Kaveh.”

Kaveh scoffs and looks at Al Haitham with his hands on his hips, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue, glaring at the acting Grand Sage in front of him. You press your lips into a thin line and slowly look up at Dainsleif, who is already looking at you. 

“I’m done with these two,” Scaramouche mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. 

Dainsleif crosses his arms over his chest. “This is my cue to leave,” said Dainsleif.

You’re about to protest, but a portal opens in front of him, and he walks through it. The portal closes once he enters. You let out another sigh and turn to the people in front of you. You’re tired and want to go to sleep, but at the same time, you want to explore around Sumeru a little bit before going to the teapot to get some much-needed shut-eye. 

“Is it okay if we go and explore Sumeru? I know it’s nighttime, but exploring Sumeru would be nice,” you said.

Kaveh points at the sky. “Explore Sumeru in the darkness? I don’t know about that….” Kaveh trails off.

Tighnari scratches his ears. “I think we should explore Sumeru in the morning. It’s safer that way,” Tighnari replies.

“If we all go together, I think we should be fine,” Scaramouche says, taking his hat off and fixing his hair that is blown by the wind. 

Cyno looks at everyone around him. “What do you guys think? Should we go an explore Sumeru?”

“Exploring Sumeru at a time like this is nothing new to me. I’m okay with it as long as everyone is okay with it,” answers Al Haitham.

The last thing you remembered was exploring Sumeru with Aether, Lumine, Paimon, and the five guests (Al Haitham, Cyno, Kaveh, and Tighnari). Now, here you are, sitting in the middle of some forest in Sumeru alone. You have been roaming around the forest for a long time, and every tree, shrubbery, and thicket looks the same. You’re not sure how Tighnari is able to guide the group through the forest without issues.

You run your fingers through your hair and lean against a tree, sliding to the ground. You’re too tired to 

“Yeah, maybe exploring the forest at night was a mistake,” you deadpan. “Well, if it isn’t the consequences of my actions,” you lightly slap your forehead. 

You rest your head against the tree trunk and close your eyes. You would go and try to search for the others, but you don’t think that is a good idea. Maybe this is the perfect time for you to take a nap while the others try and find you. You lay on the ground and curl into a fetal position, drifting off to sleep. 

After what felt like twenty minutes, your eyes fly open when you feel something poke your face. You stumble to your feet when you see a strange being in front of you. It’s small, like, really small. The way it stares at you is unsettling, but it’s kind of cute. You can’t find a way to describe it, but it’s green and has a leaf for a hair… hat? Either way, it’s small and carries a stick. 

“What are you?” You whisper, leaning down to poke it lightly. “Am I hallucinating by any chance?” You ask yourself. 

The tiny creature continues to stare at you, not saying a word. You end up introducing yourself to the green being in front of you, and it eventually speaks, which throws you off guard because you didn’t think it could talk. He introduces himself as Arabalika, and he is an Aranara, a plantlike forest spirit that resides in Vanarana. 

It turns out you somehow wandered to Vanarana, but no need to fear because Arabalika and his little Aranara buddies are here to keep you company. You’re amazed at seeing the Grove of Dreams now that Arabalika has led you to where the Aranaras reside. When you walk into Vanarana, a hoard of Aranaras surrounds you, looking at you curiously.

“Do you think my friends will be able to find me here? I don’t know how much longer I can stay in Vanarana,” you said softly.

It wasn’t like you didn’t want to stay in Vanarana. You felt like you were intruding as someone who isn’t a forest spirit. The Aranaras were sweet to you! They refused to leave you alone, and the Aranaras offered to make you something to eat (which you declined because of the amount of food you have consumed today) and provided some entertainment.

While you and the Aranaras are warming up to each other, the people you went exploring in the forest with are scrambling around to search for you. They searched high and low for you, only to find nothing at all.

“Where could they have wandered off?” Al Haitham asks.

“They didn’t wander off; we wandered off without checking to see if they were following us or not,” Kaveh interjects.

Cyno sits on the ground. “Then what do we do? We can’t find them in the forest. We can’t leave them all alone until the sun rises,” Cyno grumbles, yanking the grass from the ground.

“Hey! Don’t do that,” Tighnari scolds Cyno, slapping the grass out of Cyno’s hands before huffing loudly. 

“We’re going to have a [Y/N] search party,” Lumine says.

Scaramouche blinks at Lumine owlishly. “A [Y/N] search party?” Scaramouche asks.

Lumine and Aether look at each other, nodding at one another. As much as they don’t want to disturb others of their sleep, they have no other choice but to get the other men involved.

You sit on the grass, weaving flowers with Arabalika and the other Aranaras. They offered a temporary home for you to rest in, but you refused to sleep no matter how tired you were. Plus, you have this unsettling feeling where you feel like you’re being watched. And you know it’s not Dainsleif because he would have shown up before Arabalika discovered you in the forest. 

Arabalika taps your knees to grab your attention. “What’s wrong, Nara friend?”

You give Arabalika a wary smile. “I feel like we’re being watched, do you?” You whisper to Arabalika.

“It’s okay if you feel that way. We will protect you,” Arabalika says, holding your hand.

You laugh and squeeze Arabalika’s hand, not sure what he’s implying. How can something as small as he protects you from the dangers lurking in the forest? 

“Should we make ourselves known to them?” Dottore asks, his back pressing up against a tree.

Pierro shakes his head. “I don’t think it’s time for us to introduce ourselves to [Y/N] just yet,” Pierro mutters, watching you interact with the Aranaras. 

“Aw, what a shame. I really wanted to introduce myself to [Y/N],” Pantalone laments, leaning against the tree that was a few meters from where you’re sitting. 

“Unless you want to start a problem, go ahead,” Capitano grumbles. “Those little creatures are guarding [Y/N]. It’s strange to see how protective they are of someone that isn’t part of this world,” Captiano peeks from behind the trees. 

You finish weaving the flower crown and place it on Arabalika’s head, and he puts his completed flower crown on your head. You recall one of the Aranaras inviting you to their little concert, so you let Arabalika guide you to where the show is being held. You sit in the crowd and watch them play the instruments in awe. Arabalika waddles over to you, pulls you to the center of the “stage,” and attempts to get you to join in on the dancing. 

You knew that you were not alone in the forest with the Aranaras, but if you were going to die soon, you might as well enjoy your last moments dancing with the Aranaras. While you’re in the middle of twirling around with Arabalika in your hands, you hear a twig snap loudly. The music ceases, and you stop spinning, holding Arabalika in the air, slowly turning to look in the direction of where the twig has snapped. 

Over twenty heads peek from behind the trees. You squint at them and slowly put Arabalika down, shielding your eyes to try to get a better look at each person’s face.

“Oh, it seems like you have found me,” you said.

Venti pouts. “Someone doesn’t sound too happy about being found,” Venti says.

“Sorry to interrupt your performance, but we were looking everywhere for you,” Kaeya speaks up, emerging from the shadows, and walks over to where you stand.

Arabalika steps in front of you, holding his arms out. Kaeya stops in his tracks and gazes at Arabalika with an amused look on his face. 

Dainsleif chuckles. “It seems like the Aranara is trying to protect [Y/N],” said Dainsleif.

You look at the men who now stand in front of you, Arabalika and the other Aranaras. “Why are all of you in Sumeru? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see all of you again, but what are you guys doing here?” You ask. 

“Lumine, Aether, and Paimon came to all of us and requested us to search for you. We heard that you went missing in the forest of Sumeru, and they didn’t know how else to track you down,” Diluc interjects. 

You nod your head slowly. “So… Aether, Lumine, and Paimon traveled to your respective nations to have you all search for me?” You ask.

“That is correct. Although we did arrive earlier than all of you,” Pantalone speaks up, walking out from behind a tree with a smug smile on his face. 

Aether and Lumine look at each other with wide eyes, pointing over at the four Harbingers, now standing behind you. It seems like there are uninvited guests as well. You look at the four Harbingers behind you and then at the other people in front of you.

“I have no idea what is going on, nor do I know the history you all have with each other, but can we not start this now?” You ask.

“And why is that, little one? Are you playing as the mediator in this situation?” Pierro asks, raising an eyebrow at you, the corners of his lips quirked up.

You hunch over and shake your head. “No, I just don’t have the energy to deal with this,” you gesture between the two groups, “and I have spent every last energy of mine dancing with Arabalika and the Aranaras. I want to go to sleep,” you said.

Arabalika turns around and gazes at you. Even with that blank stare of his, you knew what he was implying. Arabalika holds his hand up, and you grab them, letting Arabalika guide you to the nearest Aranara house.

“If all of you are going to fight, I might as well sleep through it. Arabalika will show me to my temporary room until the fight is over,” you announce over your shoulders. 

The remaining Aranaras stare at the Naras (and Paimon) before them. Without saying a word, they all waddle after you and Arabalika, the sound of their footsteps gradually fading away. Just when the men thought they were the only ones drawn to you, the Aranaras are just as drawn to you as they are. However, the Aranaras are drawn to you for a different reason. The men, however, are drawn to you because they feel a connection with you and are also attracted to you. Whoever you are, wherever you came from, it doesn’t matter to them because they will try to have you for themselves. The tension was broken by the sound of Paimon and Lumine snickering with each other.

“You’re all fighting over [Y/N], and yet the Aranaras snatch [Y/N] up just like that,” Paimon says, giggling behind her hand.

Lumine raises her eyebrows. “Good luck trying to get the Aranaras' approval to be with [Y/N]. If you all think that I’m protective of [Y/N], you’re wrong,” Lumine chuckles. “They see something in [Y/N], and it makes them want to guard [Y/N] with their entire being,” Lumine strokes her chin.

When you collapsed into bed and were tucked into bed by Arabalika, the other Aranaras stood in front of your temporary house, guarding the door and watching the people closely. So much for finding you and bringing you back to Sumeru City. Now they have to wait for the next day to bring you back to civilization without causing any problems with the Aranaras, who are surprisingly protective of you.

Note: This fic is long because I decided to type during school while I was at the library when I didn't have any assignments to do for any of my classes. And now here we are with over 10k words of fanfic! Once I post this fic onto my AO3, the Isekai'd!Reader one-shot series will officially have about over 400k words! That is longer than a novel. I think that's the most I have ever typed out for a fanfiction :o Honestly, I'm impressed if someone decides to read all of the stories I have posted from my first fanfic to my current fanfic. I'm currently debating between two requests right now to post for next week, but I can't decide.... 🤔 both are hurt/comfort, but one contains smut... as per the person's request. Eh, that will be future me's problem. Anyway, for those who want to be on my new taglist, here is the link to the taglist [Genshinluvr Updated Taglist Form]! Please make sure that you allow people to mention you/tag you in posts, or else I won't be able to tag you in any future fanfics! And as usual, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Taglist for my Isekai'd!Reader one-shot series and my overall taglist: @alhaitham-scribe, @xyji, @kazuhasmuse, @chirikoheina, @yoru-trash, @kaoyamamegami, @kwelibeeery, @yumakj, @deartoru, @luminarymoonlight, @toobytub, @ins4nebish, @bokuto-kinnie, @honeybedo, @exhaustedcommunist, @jadedist, @mompt2, @living-my-best-life5, @chalksdreams, @rinswriting, @thelost-in-time, @mxn14, @ventisweetheart, @unwantedsleep, @kattythesimp, @hispasian-otaku, @Orah-s, @juuuuuj101010, @nxns3nse, @sickly-falling, @alteeeeyang, @wind1y, @wh0-ta0, @samarill, @testsubject0012, @irisxiel, @HistoryNerd™️, @kazuhaprnt, @lunarapple, @urlocalhothuman, @emilymikado, @mabie, @vinnie-w, @n8mareee, @bajifairyy, @al-haithamsforeveryone, @heyimkay, @smolbeaniezz, @milkpeanuts476, @eliciana, @jellyslimesoffical, @blesstosuisen (If your name has been crossed out, it means that your account did not show up when I try to tag your account. Please make sure to allow people to mention you and tag you in posts and make sure the spelling, symbols, and numbers are correct)

Read more of my works on my Masterlist | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

[book--brackets]

Green Rider by Kristen Britain (1998-present)

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a "life and death" message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission "for love of country." As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man..."

Karigan's promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (1872)

Princess Irene lives in a castle in a wild and lonely mountainous region. One day she discovers a steep and winding stairway leading to a bewildering labyrinth of unused passages with closed doors - and a further stairway. What lies at the top? Can the ring the princess is given protect her against the lurking menace of the goblins from under the mountain?

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton (1936-1985)

Jo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. In the magic Faraway Tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends – Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man. Together they visit the strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want) atop the tree and have the most exciting adventures – and narrow escapes.

The Last Binding by Freya Marske (2021-2023)

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Ash by Malinda Lo (2009-2011)

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (2020)

Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this peculiar area—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more one fears them, the stronger they become.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (2020)

In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die. 

Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up. 

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones (1977-2006)

Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.

The Thief of Always by Clive Barker (1992)

Mr. Hood’s Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood’s wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. 

The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes (2019)

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.

[margaretoakgrove]

Gift for birthday

Walking the thorny road of your uneasy life, you managed to comprehend one simple yet great mystery of that the appearance of a person frequently can be deceiving and far from always reflect their authentic essence.

You came to this conclusion after on your path you had met many people who were flawlessly beautiful outside but disgustingly ugly on the inside, and also those few ones who behind their brutal exterior, in fact, hid an incredibly gentle soul.

And to your grand happiness your beloved Karl Heisenberg proved to be exactly that same kind of man.

But, unfortunetaly, here in this located in a mountainous region of Eastern Europe remote little village because of his rather formidable looks, rank of being one of the Four Lords of the village lands and unnatural for human beings powers of controlling different metal objects only with his mind Karl was perceived by the local residents as an arrogant and incapable of love or compassion extremely dangerous individual, but only to you Heisenberg opened up his genuinely caring, fun-loving and sensetive nature and all the truth about that cruel and egoistic Mother Miranda forced him to become her obedient servant against his own will, and that already quite for a long time he had been dreaming to be free of the oppression of her barbarous tyranny.

Actually, one needs to say that it was not only one dream which the Lord was seriously intended to turn into reality one day.

Yesterday early in the morning when both of you were sitting at the kitchen table and nicely chatting over a cup of freshly brewed fragnant coffee he honestly confessed to you that at least for once in his entire life he would really like to properly celebrate his own birthday with real presents and a real big birthday cake.

To hear this amazing news from the Lord you were indescribably glad as before in your conversations he had never told you even when his birthday was, and what joy that was for you to find out that it was supposed to be already on the next day!

Determined to make your beloved feel a little bit more happier, you conceived to secretly organize a small pleasant surprise for him by preparing a homemade festive cake and a lovely useful gift, despite the fact that Karl was not going to celebrate his birthday so soon for the simple reason that, as he himself said, he didn't have absolutely any time for entertainments as at the current moment the total elimination of Miranda was the number one goal for him, that is why his tomorrow's birthday Heisenberg planned to spend just like one of his most regular days, hoping at least not to cross paths anywhere with his adopted family, the members of which he had always sincerely dispised.

But all these plans and hopes of the Lord crumbled into dust when at the crack of dawn he was unceremoniously awakened by the unexpected telephone call of Mother Miranda herself. As it turned out, "her highness crazy witch" for some unknown reason decided to arrange an unscheduled family gathering and demanded for her "son" to partake in it along with his siblings and arrive for this to the cave church asap, thereby not leaving him even the slightest chance to normally wash his face, let alone have some breakfast.

Hastily dressed, our birthday man, fiercely cursing Miranda for so brazenly spoiling all his day today, went outside where nature unfriendly greeted him with a massive snowfall accompanied by the powerful gusts of a freezing wind.

"Fucking matches..." He grumbled under his breath, trying to light a cuban cigar with no success. "Always extinguish even from the slightest breeze..."

You volunteered to walk the Lord right to the main factory gates, paying zero attention to all of his insistent protests not to do that in such a cold stormy weather. On his covered with deep scars stubbled cheek you placed a light goodbye kiss, and once the burly figure of your beloved disappeared on the opposite side of the stone bridge you immediately hurried back to the factory in order to get everything what was needed ready for his return...

As Heisenberg suspected this family meeting promised to be unbelievably prolonged, and it seemed to him that it lasted for a whole eternity. For many long hours straight Karl, chewing an unlit cigar, had been sitting on a wide wooden bench inside the cave church and, from time to time heavily sighing and rolling his eyes in irritated manner, listening to the insane dictatorial nonsense of the family head, the poisonous insults of Lady Dimitrescu that she was spitting right in his face, the nasty high-pitched squeal of Donna's creepy porcelain doll and the constant childish whining of Moreau. Not having a single crumb of bread within his stomach since early morning and chilled to the bone, Heisenberg eagerly awaited this freak show to end as soon as possible so that he could come back to the saving walls of his old factory and just forget about this frankly lousy day within your warm comforting embrace.

But to reach his safe refuge the Lord, unfortunately, managed only very late in the evening after he had accomplished to do everything he was strictly ordered to, namely, calmed down the went crazy Lycans in the Stronghold and got rid of the mess in the village workshop. Barely dragging his feet from extreme tiredness, the man, upon entering the bedroom and throwing off his outerwear, with noise flopped down on the shabby leather couch and, closing his eyes, let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he was home.

"Karl? You back?" Your quiet voice delicately interrupted your beloved's welcome respite, making him to open his eyes again, and having noticed your presence in the doorway of the bedroom, he couldn't help but slightly smile.

"Yes, princess. I'm back."

"It's pretty late. You must be very tired and hungry. Let's go to the kitchen! I've made a dinner for us."

"Sounds perfect." And with these words Heisenberg slowly stood up and trudged after you in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey, what's this?" Karl whistled in surprise, motioning his head towards the kitchen table in the center of which adorned a deliciously smelling fresh apple cake surrounded by many plates with his especially favorite dishes.

"Um, Karl..." From overwhelming excitement all that tremendous speech which you had been composing since the previous day specially for this occasion in a blink evaporated from your memory. "I just...I just wanted to say...um... Here! Happy birthday, darling! Please accept this humble gift from me to you!"

The gaze of the Lord fell on a laying within your palms silver lighter with the engraved on it image of a beautiful steed, which you had bought from the Duke for a rather hefty sum.

"I noticed that you always light cigars with matches, but it seemed to me that for you they are not very comfortable in using. And then i thought maybe a lighter would be more helpful in this case, so..."

From your trembling hands the man took the lighter extremely carefully as if it was made not of metal but of fragile glass.

"All right, sweetheart...You...huh...You cooked all this food, baked this cake, spent your money on this obviously damn expensive thing, and what do you want to tell me? Do you want to tell me that you did all of this...for me?"

"Well...Well yes! Yes, that's right!"

Judjing by his puzzled facial expression, it was safe to say your beloved was truly shocked by everything what's happening right now, and it was no wonder because absolutely nobody in his entire life had ever done even something similar for him.

"So...Why are we still standing? The food is getting cold! Come on! Let's take a sit at the table!"

The blizzard, which had been furiously raging outside throughout the day, little by little, had begun to abate, and out of the snow gloomy clouds appeared the large silvery moon whose tranquil light unobtrusively penetrated through a small window into the kitchen where Heisenberg and you were enjoying the festive meal in each other's company. At your request, Karl told you how the family gathering went, but instead of narrating you about this extremely unpleasant event in a negative way, he started cracking shameless yet hilarious jokes about his hateful siblings, and your contagious laughter, caused by these jokes, after all those disgusting nasties that he had to hear today out acted like a healing balm to his soul.

Suddenly, Gymnopedie No.1 by Erik Satie smoothly played on the radio, and to your mind came a wonderful idea.

"May i have this dance, my Lord?" Playfully smiling, you politely held out the man your hand.

"Sure!" Not even thinking, Heisenberg immediately accepted your invitation to dance. "But i consider it my duty to warn you that i can't dance at all."

"Me too! So i am deeply apologizing in advance for accidentally stepping on your feet a huge number of times!"

In the dimly illuminated by a couple of oil lanterns kitchen both of you were slightly swaying in a slow dance to the soothing sounds of the marvelous melody in each other's arms. Placing his rough hand on your waist, Karl was gradually pulling you closer and closer to his wide sturdy chest, and when you rested your head on his strong shoulder he a bit nuzzled your soft silky hair, inhaling with pleasure its subtle delightful scent.

Fully immersed in the relaxing atmosphere of calmness, at least for tonight the Lord entirely forgot about all of his pressing daily problems the thoughts of which permanently created disorderly chaos in his head, and at this divine moment of complete peacefulness it seemed to him as if in the whole entire world existed only you and only him, silently dancing in this cozy semi-darkness.

After a few short minutes, silence that followed the melted in the air music softly stopped the slow romantic dance of yours, and then you looked up at your beloved just in order to catch him looking back at you with a gaze filled with nothing other than tenderness and adoration.

"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me tonight." Carefully Heisenberg tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Thank me? But...But you shouldn't thank me. I...I haven't really done anything special..." This affectionate gesture in combination with the low tone of his raspy voice made you unavoidably redden like a ripe juicy strawberry. "You deserve this, Karl. You do truly deserve this. You deserve all of this and even more. And if i only could give you this more, believe me, i would gladly do that for you, not awaiting from you anything in exchange because... because i love you too much...that's all..."

"My Buttercup...My kind little Buttercup..." And Karl, upon cupping your face with his hands as gently as he could, placed a kiss on your lips, in sweetness to which, in your opinion, even candied honey could not be compared. You didn't break this adorable kiss to ask the Lord what happened when you noticed a crystal-clear tear rolling down his cheek because for you everything was understandable enough without any words: probably for the first time in his entire life your beloved now was quietly crying with genuine happiness, and from the realization that you managed to fulfill one of the cherished dreams of his you yourself became even more happier than you had already been...

This peaceful night before going to bed Heisenberg decided to go outside in order to have a smoke. With the help of his new lighter Karl easily lighten up a cuban cigar on the very first attempt and contentedly took several deep puffs.

Leisurely savoring the bitter taste of the tobacco smoke, simultaneously the Lord was gazing at the dark nocturnal sky strewn with millions of bright sparkling stars just when one of them at lightning speed was leaving its abode once and for all, and, without hesitation, he quickly made a birthday wish.

It is not difficult to guess what kind of wish your beloved made because more than anything else he truly wished to be with you forever no matter what as for him you doubtelessly were the most priceless gift which he was so lucky to receive from the Universe herself, and to her for such a boundless generousity the man was infinitely grateful.

[daechvvitas]

GIRL MEETS EVIL | prologue

to escape her harrowing past, a young woman runs away to seoul and is taken in by the the owner of BANGTAN, the hottest club in the city. what seems like just a luxurious nightclub on the surface is actually a money laundering front for its true purpose: the stomping ground for the most notorious mafia in the region. and when the past comes back to haunt her, the seven members vow to do anything to protect her.

pairing(s): mafia!bts x bottle girl!reader (f) genre: mafia au, noir, angst, sm*t rating: mature, minors dni warnings: mentions of physical ab*se (not from the boys) word count: 1.1k

a/n: this has been an idea of mine ever since the butter concept photos dropped and now i'm motivated to finish it! this is just a small prologue/flashback to set things up. all of the boys will be featured in the next chapter!

MASTERLIST • NEXT CHAPTER

january 2020, seoul

Seoul was made for the night time. A myriad of lights reflected off the skyscrapers and hanging signs. The air was filled with laughter from pedestrians, watch where you’re going! from drivers, and a cacophony of music. Sleep-deprived university students wandered down the sidewalks, on the hunt for study fuel. Meanwhile, the hedonistic and the reckless drunkenly bounced from one bar to another without a care in the world.

And then, there was you.

Somehow, you managed to find a quiet spot amongst the bustling activity. Your frame, worn down from hunger and exhaustion, was just barely propped up against the brick wall in the dark alleyway. Shallow breaths slipped from your lips, eyes fluttering open and close to try and keep yourself awake. But it was too damn hard. An almost unbearable pain radiated through your ribs. He’d broken them, that was for certain. Or at the very least, sprained.

Just the mere thought of him was enough to send you into a panic. Tears began to fall. Teeth slicing into your inner cheek, you squeezed your eyes shut and forced yourself to quell your ever-rapid beating heart. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you ever again. The words weren’t as comforting as you hoped. It was a lie, after all. You weren’t safe. If there was anything this cruel world had taught you in nearly twenty-three years of living, it was that you would never be safe anywhere.

"What are you doing?"

The unfamiliar, masculine voice jolted you into alertness, but the bruised ribs kept you from making a run for it. Another surge of panic overtook you. It may not have been him but that didn’t lessen the fear. The voice still belonged to a man and that was more than enough reason to beware.

Blinking rapidly to clear your blurred vision, your wide eyes landed on the tall shadowy figure standing a few feet away. His face was hidden by the shitty lighting, even as he slowly began to approach. Ignoring the pain, you slowly curled your legs into yourself, rendering yourself into a ball of protection from the unknown source.

"I’m not going to hurt you."

You bit back a humorless laugh. How many times had you heard that before? You’d just escaped the last man who promised you that.

"Don’t... D-Don’t come closer." Those were the first words you’d spoken in a day. They scratched at your throat unpleasantly.

"You shouldn’t be out here alone—"

The man’s voice trailed off as he stepped close enough to get a proper look at you. He exhaled sharply, his entire body suddenly rigid as he took the sight in. Your ribs weren’t the only thing bruised. Under the left eye, a harsh purple-red discoloration marred your skin. Your lips were swollen beyond its limit, dried blood caked over the bottom. Hair that reached your mid-back was currently matted down by sweat and dirt. You felt mortified to be witnessed like this.

"Who did this to you?"

He was angry. You dealt with enough angry men in your past to know exactly what that sounded like. As he knelt before you, you flinched, preparing yourself for a blow to the face. But one never came. Instead, you in return caught your first sight of him as he stepped into the light. Even at your eye level, his tall stature couldn’t be ignored. Silence fell between you two as you took him in. His dark, draconic eyes were narrowed in suppressed rage.

It should have been a terrifying sight, but it was strangely beautiful. Just like him.

"What’s your name?" He asked.

You felt compelled to tell him, but you remained silent. Trust was not something that you could hand so easily onto a plate. You’d done it before and it did nothing but land you here. He nodded, seeming to understand your hesitation. It was almost eerie how gentle he was being. Almost as if he knew that one sudden move would cause you to crumble all over again.

"You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to."

His eyebrows furrowed in concern. The controlled calm he had over the conversation was admirable to witness. In comparison, you felt like an embarrassingly fragile little thing. You were all raw, devastating emotions while he was steadfast and firm. He clenched his teeth, the muscle flexing beneath his sun-kissed jaw. The small movement caused the collar of his expensive dress shirt to shift, exposing a huge, jagged scar on his neck. Your eyes widened, wondering how deep and far the cut ran. He noticed instantly and his expression clouded, fixing the collar to cover the healed wound once more.

“Guess we’ve both been hurt.” He piped up in a cryptic tone. As if he was trying to coax a morbid laugh from you. It didn’t work. Instead, you felt your heart sink. Someone had hurt him — just like someone had hurt you. You couldn’t help but wonder who or why. But that wasn’t a question you dared to say out loud. As beautifully phlegmatic as he appeared, he was still a stranger to you. You never knew what could change his expression of worry into one of fury. And you had zero desire to find out.

"My name's Kim Namjoon. You don’t have to speak, but let me help you. You’re obviously cold and hungry." He offered. "You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you ever again."

You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you ever again.

A chill crept up your spine, hearing him repeat the words you’d just said to yourself. You wondered if it was a sign from a god you didn’t even believe in. He said the statement with all the confidence in the world. It felt like a silent vow at the altar. Kim Namjoon made you want to believe that he could actually protect you.

"O-Okay..." You whimpered out with a slow nod. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to express your consent. Namjoon gave you a gentle smile in response. You could tell by the way it shyly formed on his features that it was a rare gesture. And yet, he decided to give you one.

You hoped the smile would be the first of many.

[mariacallous]

Back in the 1980s, when polenta was the hot new item on restaurant menus, I was eager to try it. I knew it was a traditional Italian dish, but it was foreign to everyone else, including me. I bought a package of cornmeal, began the preparation, and when it was done I realized I had been eating it all my life. It was the same dish Jonathan Harker ate before his encounter with Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel, known in the American South as “cornmeal mush” and “pap” in South Africa. But I knew it as mamaliga, which had been a staple in my grandma’s Romanian kitchen. 

Because mamaliga was such an essential in our lives, I didn’t realize that most of my Jewish friends had never heard of it. The hallways in the buildings we lived in all had the same familiar scents of Ashkenazi staples we all knew — chicken soup, challah, braising briskets, and roasting chickens. Shared values and menus.

Except when it came to mamaliga, which I learned was limited to those of us whose ancestors were from Romania. 

While our family was dining on cornmeal mush, everyone else was eating kasha varnishkes, a dish I ate regularly only after tasting it at my future mother-in-law’s house (it was love at first bite).

It all has to do with geography, I think. Polenta/mamaliga is based on cornmeal, which had been unknown anywhere except the Americas, where corn is indigenous. Christopher Columbus and other Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought corn to western Europe and Africa, where it flourished. Cornmeal became a staple.

Turkish traders noticed corn grain in the markets of Africa and brought some “granoturco” back to Southeast Europe, including the region we now know as Romania, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire. In 1692, a Romanian nobleman tried some, thought it worthy, and introduced it to Romania. It became the country’s national dish. 

A few years ago I visited “the old country,” including the city of Iasi, where my grandparents were born, and laid stones on the graves of my great-grandparents who are buried in the one remaining Jewish cemetery (when my grandparents lived there, the city was about one-third Jewish). 

Naturally we sampled mamaliga, which is ever-present on every restaurant menu. It’s usually served as a side dish, much like any starch, but in my childhood, my grandma, and later on my mother, served mamaliga in a multitude of ways, including our favorite, mamaliga cu branza si smetana – mamaliga with cheese and sour cream, served for lunch or as a side dish at dairy dinners. 

In my own kitchen, I’ve learned that mamaliga is incredibly versatile. I’ve used it as a substitute for potatoes, noodles, and rice (complete with butter, sauce, or gravy). I’ve served it as a full meal, as a topping for brisket or chicken pot pie filling, with mushroom ragout, and with caramelized onions and cheese. I’ve even mixed it with molasses and cream to make a quick Indian pudding. 

The leftovers are spectacular, too. In fact, in Romanian households they make extra mamaliga to pour into a loaf pan, let it firm up, and then cut slices to fry to crispy goodness. I’ve served fried slices of “Romanian toast” for breakfast, topped them with gravy or cheese for lunch, or with a fried egg for dinner.

It’s no wonder that the Romanians called dried ground corn mamaliga, a word that translates to “food of gold.” It’s a tribute not merely to the grain’s beautiful yellow color, but to its adaptability. Whatever you call it, this dish is an enduring winner and, as far as I am concerned, another treasure of the Ashkenazi kitchen.

[leggerefiore]

👑Lear General Romance HCs💎

cw: fluff, romance

🪙 The prince was in absolutely no state for any kind of romance when he first built and came to Pasio. His entire rejection of bonds made certain of that. He would also be keenly aware that he would one day find himself in a marriage… That was a duty of a royal family member, after all. Of course, he suspected it would be arranged with another noble, and there would be little choice in the matter for him. His father was quite controlling and held such high expectations for him. He truly never held romance anywhere slightly in his mind.

🪙 … Until you unfortunately forced these feelings onto him. You, some person from a far off region with no connection to his own whose mere presence vexed him. You were surrounded by friends and constantly tormented him with your bonds. What was so good about you? He wanted to force you into the ground under him. That was your role, after all. He was prince and the owner of Pasio, you were some unknown entity that kept tormenting him with your presence. But… He also felt something else. Your hand reaching out to him… Your praise… Lear was a desperate man underneath everything, with deep trauma. Your kindness truly would end up meaning the world for him. He would decide that if there was anyone in the world that was to be at his side, that it would be you. And, thus, you were now “dating” him.

🪙 PDA is a varied thing for him. If you chose to remain close at his side during public appearances, he would have no complaints. That was your place, after all. At his side. Yet, most things were rejected unless they were to boost his image. Sadly, being a public figure was a most tumultuous thing. Of course, planned kisses were accepted. Surprise ones would result in one of his characteristic little episodes. It is quite stiff with him, alas. He simply cannot allow his father to have him any new complaints. Though, he desperately would like to admit he does not mind when you dote on him. He truly does enjoy your affection…

🪙 … Which is reflected when in private. You will struggle to be away from him. He has particularly clingy moods in which he basically would have you attached at his side. Arms are around you while he rests his head on your chest, lost in thought. If you dare bring a hand to comb through his hair, he relaxes further. He loves to be lavished in any kind of romantic contact. In turn, he tries to do the same for you. Rejoice, for he will peck kisses onto wherever he can reach and cling to you like you are a stuffed toy. When you two are alone, he is always needy. Excluding when he is having a particularly bad mood… But even then, he wants you near. He cannot admit how terrified he is to be alone, but he will look at you in such desperation.

🪙 You are allowed to do as you please with him when alone. Anything. Please hold him and kiss him. Whatever bright blush may overcome his cheeks, he truly does love it all. Give him praise and he simply melts inside. There is nothing but desperation in his heart for your whole attention on him. He often likes when you let him rest on you or cuddle up in bed. It is rare that he has a moment to relax, so it is deeply important that these moments exist with you. Also, he does look genuinely adorable with how he nuzzles his face against you. He is like a desperate cat…

🪙 Dates are over the top and frequently just announced to you rather than planned. Lear struggles to show his affection in most ways, so gifts and dates are the easiest things for him. Any place on Pasio is free game for him to take you, too. The finest dining establishments to simply a serene walk in the forest. You only have to ask for him to indulge you. Granted, he will usually offer dates to places of grandeur. He flaunts his wealth far too casually. Bills are eye-popping to all but him at restaurants or shopping dates. Lear will only shrug if you ever comment on it. A small price for him in order to express his love for you.

🪙 Lear is jealous yet denies it. He simply wants your attention all the time, but you have so many friends on Pasio who also wish to have your time. He stews in his own feelings while tagging along whenever he can. Amicable hugs are enough to make him pull you into his own embrace and glare at the “offender.” He has been alone for so long… You must work with him on this. It comes from a fear that he will lose you, truly. Even he hates that he struggles with this. Now, if someone actually was flirting with you, he likely will need to be held back. They will be banned from Pasio, at the very least.

🪙 Domestic moments become a thing the longer you two are together. Evenings become a quiet time to reflect on the day and discuss various things together. He finds himself oddly at ease, despite the usual stress heavy on his shoulders. You listen to him and give advice or just the room to get out his difficult feelings. His heart races at the realisation of how much peace you bring to him. He feels so thankful. Being with another person in such a subtly intimate way… He truly cannot express his adoration for you. Though, he will try. And will maybe erect a statue of you and him together.

🪙 In his mind, he finds himself daydreaming of being king. Not something so uncommon, but the newest addition to all the glory the comes with it, is you. You happily on his arm, wearing a crown with him. His heart races at the thought. You would be a monarch alongside him. He desired nothing more than for that image to become a reality. Lear's plans to succeed the throne become marred with an intensity to further your relationship. (Distant memories of his mother and father lie in his head, perhaps giving him a rose-tinted view for these things.) He begins to daydream of weddings, too. It would be a far too grand event… There would be nothing less that he would accept for you. Lear would give you the entire world if he could.

🪙 A relationship with Lear is something of being his rock at his most trying of times and like a doll. When he falls, he falls far too hard, and there is little anyone can do to shift his feelings. You are given luxurious gifts constantly and offered nothing but the best in life, yet Lear is still a deeply troubled person, even though he is working on that. His trauma leaves very visible scars on his attitude, but he truly wants to become someone you love and adore. He lives for your praise and affection. There is also an extreme forwardness with him. He forgets to ask as he is so used to only taking. You will have to work on him with many things, but his love is genuine and true.

[mooechi]

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄! 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒; 𝐑𝐈𝐑𝐈

TAISHO ERA SECRETS*

DID YOU KNOW? no? well now you do! ...

riri has a tendency to fall asleep at the most inconvenient moments. during her free time, she prioritizes rest and avoids engaging in draining activities. she has the ability to doze off anywhere, disregarding any discomfort she may experience.

unless absolutely necessary, riri tends to, and will oversleep.

when it comes to cooking or handling anything fire-related, she is completely inept and often ends up burning things or people in the process. household chores and self-care are not her strong suits either, leading geto and even mimi to take on a somewhat caretaker role for her, despite riri being older than mimi.

riri is puzzled as to why lower-ranking individuals tend to avoid her like the plague. however, unbeknownst to her, her blunt honesty often comes across as brutal, which makes matters worse. despite her attempts to soften her words, she struggles with sugarcoating and ends up being more direct than intended. this is why geto suspects that she is either bluntly vague or vaguely blunt.

when she's not dozing off in her free time, riri can usually be found enjoying the beauty of nature, particularly beneath a sakura tree or in any other picturesque natural setting that captivates her.

not to say that she isn't fond of animals, but ironically, riri has an intense fear of cats for some unknown reason.

while she may not be the best mentor, she's not the worst either. however, don't expect her advice to be genuinely helpful. in fact, it might just confuse you even more.

her favorite food is simply any type of miso soup.

riri doesn't care enough to bother whether others address her with honorifics or not.

while mimi eagerly awaited the arrival of her uniform and katana, riri took it upon herself to visit the kakushi responsible for tailoring the uniform. but her being who she was, riri approached the situation without resorting to threats or intimidation. instead, she maintained her characteristic nonchalant demeanor and sincerely expressed her concerns regarding the uniform being made for mimi. riri believed that the initial design she had received, which happened to be the same as mitsuri's uniform, was not what she had in mind for mimi. she feared that mimi would end up with a similar uniform, which wasn't ideal at all.

unfortunately, due to her stoic expression, the tailor misinterpreted riri's intentions and formed a different perception of her. nevertheless, this misunderstanding proved to be beneficial, at least for riri. it prompted the tailor to create a proper uniform that aligned with mimi's expectations, ensuring that she would receive a uniform tailored specifically for her needs.

riri possesses extensive knowledge of anatomy, which is a result of her specialized technique. in an alternate reality, she might have pursued a career as a wandering artist.

while riri has the ability to engage in witty banter, she often perceives it as bothersome and a mere waste of time that could have been better spent on resting.

similarly, since her missions primarily take place in cold climates, it is no surprise that her residence is located in snowy regions. consequently, her training during the hashira training arc was exceptionally challenging, as it took place in the harsh winter conditions, adding an extra level of difficulty and hardship to her training regime.

riri's assigned kasugai crow is a male named urami, meaning "grudge." riri decided to give it that name after months of incessant pestering on its part. initially, she refused to name it simply because she didn't even bother trying to think of anything suitable. however, the relentless nagging eventually irritated her to the point where she chose the name as a form of sarcastic retaliation.

when it comes to appearance, urami, like any other crow, doesn't stand out and has a rather ordinary look. however, its personality can be described as either comical or downright irritating. urami often displays a degrading attitude and easily loses its temper. ironically, urami's behavior actually aids riri, who tends to be deliberate and take her time with tasks. urami's impatience and persistent reminders serve as a not-so-polite urging that pushes her to act promptly and complete things more efficiently.

interestingly, urami is a very selective eater and surprisingly enjoys being fashionable for reasons unknown. but despite its occasional protests, urami has firmly decided to serve no other owner except riri, showing unwavering loyalty towards her.

riri wields a standard nichirin katana much like most. her handguard features a simple circular design with an inwardly-facing snowflake motif. the color of her blade is a pearly blue, reminiscent of a diamond, though it does not boast any extravagant embellishments.

riri possesses a remarkable ability to perceive auras, which shares similarities with akaza's, but also has distinct characteristics of its own. her aura perception skill functions in a unique manner; the stronger an individual's aura, the more it works against them, making their aura more prominent and easily detectable. this puts them at a disadvantage as their intentions and actions become more apparent. conversely, when facing weaker opponents, riri becomes more susceptible to their surprise attacks. their feeble auras prove difficult to sense as potential threats, making her more prone to being caught off guard. furthermore, encountering an overwhelming aura can have an exhausting effect on riri. her heightened sensitivity to the tension and energy of the aura adds an extra burden to her already fatigued state, further draining her energy.

riri possesses the lowest stamina among all the hashiras, which can be attributed to both her physical condition and the immense effort required to execute her techniques. despite making them appear effortless, the reality is that performing these techniques is incredibly challenging.

despite her lower stamina, riri possesses an exceptional tolerance for cold temperatures. she lives up to her title in this regard, but it's important to note that she isn't completely immune to the cold. while she can withstand and bear colder conditions better than most, it doesn't mean she is entirely unaffected by it.

because of her limited stamina, riri is typically assigned missions that demand an extended duration compared to the usual ones. this allows her to work effectively within her energy constraints and ensures that she can complete the tasks regardless of her lower endurance.

while it is not a common occurrence, riri can sometimes display subconscious rudeness towards individuals she disapproves of. on the contrary, she secretly enjoys receiving headpats, although she may not openly admit it, just because nobody has ever directly asked her about it.

it can be said that her preferred love language is likely quality time, even in moments of silence.

indeed, geto is specifically assigned as her kakushi. however, due to riri's infrequent presence at home, as her missions primarily involve investigations that often last for at least a week, she allows him to roam and assist others in their endeavors.

the nickname "riri" is none other than mitsuri's idea.

speaking of which, why exactly is her name chosen as it is? ...

the name "akari" is associated with the concept of illumination or radiance, while "fuyutsuki" combines the words for "winter" and "moon" in Japanese. so when combined, the name "akari fuyutsuki" evokes the image of a shining or radiant moon during the winter season, symbolizing beauty and tranquility in connection with the cold weather. though, i personally go with the analogy that it represents hope amidst the dreaded void of hollowness.

[unmellowyellowfellow]

Chalk Mountain

+ a WiP introduction

(status: third draft)

genre(s): fantasy, action, au

tone(s): regional gothic, found family, prophesies, platonic love, lgbt+ protag, "magic" abilities

warning(s): blood, harsh family relations, death, cursing -- (will be editing to add more as i come across them)

tag: #wip: chalk mountain

"stay away from the bluebonnets," dixie's mother always said. "they know your secrets and will trick you with good smelling petals and a comfortable place to rest after a picnic; but eventually you will never get up, eventually you will be blue, floral, swaying in the hot wind, watching as people pass by until another sleepy bystander succumbs to take their last nap as the person they were. before they take them. before they take you."

(will be adding links to characters and more characters and some other stuff when they are ready; this will be reblogged when updated with anything. authors notes at the end!)

characters and descriptions! (to be edited)

Dixie Alvarez is the protagonist of this story. A heroine against her will, Dixie has a smart mouth and a bad habit of holding grudges; she never fit in anywhere and always managed to piss somebody off no matter where she was. A difficult relationship with her father and her mothers abandonment drives her to flee her home in search of a new, quiet, and peaceful life with people like her. Outcasts. So, she set off in her trashy green minivan to a town her mother used to tell her about in stories. Chalk Mountain. Curly, mid-length red hair, downturned brown eyes, freckles, (mostly) untamed eyebrows, 5'7". Evolved (unknown)

Emilio Baku is the side character, Dixie's best friend, and partner in crime. Ripped away from his home in Korea, Emilio developed a big heart that was always open to others after his adoptive parents took him in like it was nothing; he has now been in Chalk Mountain since he was 5 years old. Lovable teddy bear meets ruthless suppressed anger makes a man willing to do anything to protect what he loves. Short black hair that's always a little messy, deep dark brown eyes, faded burn scars cover his hands. 6'2". Evolved

Franklin and Maude are Emilio's adoptive parents and Dixie's guardians. Maude has been in Chalk Mountain since she was born. Her mother was a jailer before the town went bankrupt after a false meteorite claim that drained their tourism. Franklin came later, after he was found out as an Evolved and began to be hunted down. He took refuge in Chalk mountain 27 years ago and soon after met Maude. Maude: long, straight, gray hair, white eyes, smile lines, eye wrinkles, 7'6". Franklin: long gray hair, tall and slender figure, milky white eyes. 7'6". Both Evolved.

extra characters + descriptions (to be expanded)

The Oracle -> eons old but presents as around 30s/40s. vitiligo, blind with white irises, waist length wavy hair as black as the night sky, various markings and tattoos and scars. can only speak in prophet but can communicate in your dreams.

Marigold Alvarez -> Dixie's mother, very, very, VERY powerful woman. A force to be reckoned with, legends about her, and large popularity around Chalk Mountain. Marigold has been missing for over 11 years now, but Dixie hasn't seen her since before she herself was 12 years old. Short red bob, green eyes, freckles, permanent smirk on her face with smile lines. 5'9". Last known location: Chalk Mountain.

Walter Alvarez -> Dixie's father, loud, overbearing. One night after a screaming fight that Dixie overheard, her mother left in a tizzy. She watched her mom speed off in the car from her bedroom window, never to be seen or heard of again. Walter makes a point to never speak of Marigold and has tried painting her to be the villain ever since. Salt and pepper, short, gelled, curly hair, 5'8". Husky figure, brown eyes, grungy teeth.

authors note >

so excited to finally get this ball rolling and start sharing it with you as i figure my way through this story. i will eventually be sharing drafts as i get them written and will do snippets, short stories, moodboards, etc. based on this wip! i will announce when tag list is open (not enough content for me to want to make one yet) but for now enjoy this little info dump on my world i'm building:) also this story will be written with "proper" capital letters, i just enjoy making content lowercase! open to asks and tag games about this wip!!

this will be giving very much "mutants from x-men", very "don't trust anything beautiful". also there's dragons.

[tremendouskoalachild]

Status of High Republic kids post-Phase I

(including main and side characters that are children, teens, or equivalent in thr books and comics. spoilers for everything published, including Tales of Light and Life and Starlight Coda, with additional spoilers for upcoming media under the cut)

(SB - Starlight Beacon, SBF - Starlight Beacon's Fall)

I. main Jedi kiddos (plus Zeen, a member of the Padawan squad)

Bell Zettifar – present on SB. survived. spent months on Eiram afterwards helping the relief efforts and searching for Burryaga. learned to fish.

Burryaga Agaburry – present during SBF, presumed dead in its aftermath. actually survived and was stranded in inaccessible part of Eiram’s ocean. eventually found and recovered by Bell. malnourished and with patchy fur.

Farzala Tarabal – helped evacuate younglings off SB. last seen unconscious after confrontation with Nameless, still on SB. presumed dead in the immediate aftermath of SBF. status unknown.

Lula Talisola – helped evacuate younglings off SB, then went after escaped prisoner Krix. last seen still on SB as it is on fire in Eiram’s atmosphere, thinking of Zeen. presumed dead in the immediate aftermath of SBF. status unknown.

Qort – present on SB. successfully evacuated with group of rescued younglings. sole confirmed survivor of the original Starhopper Padawan squad.

Ram Jomaram – on Corellia during SBF. survived battle with Nihil. all in all one of the least traumatized teens in the series despite his home being destroyed by Nihil.

Reath Silas – on Corellia during SBF. survived battle, got knighted and lost his replacement master right after. otherwise fine though.

Vernestra Rwoh – on Eiram during SBF. lost Stellan and, as far as we know, Imri and Avon. traumatized beyond belief. months post-SBF following the Force as a Wayseeker without official approval. now headed to Ibbe to recover.

Zeen Mrala – on Corellia during SBF. survived battle with Nihil. last seen thinking of Lula, determined to find her in the aftermath.

II. non-Jedi heroes

Affie Hollow - present during SBF, evacuated. helped with disaster relief on Eiram for a month afterwards. started work on rebuilding the Guild. has been seventeen for several years now.

Avon Starros - apparently presumed dead by Vernestra months after SBF. had very correct suspicions about her mom's Nihil connections the last time we saw her. status unknown.

Crash and Svi’no – maybe I’d know if Lucasfilm weren’t releasing stories exclusively in print in one region only. survived battle on Corellia and got together so yay?

Honesty Weft - ehh he's probably fine? no real reason to believe otherwise. including him for completeness tbh

Jordanna Sparkburn and Sylvestri Yarrow – probably fine since we have no reason to think they were anywhere near SB or Corellia. might have to deal with Sylvestri's mother’s horrible death by Elzar during SBF. also got together so yay. also also if we can't have art of them together why don't the backgrounds of their concept art at least match up cleanly

III. minor Jedi characters

Amadeo Azzazzo – somehow matrix dodged all the death flags. don’t know if we’ll see him again but I’m proud of him and wish there was art of him.

Bibs and Rardal – present on SB. last seen squaring off against the Nameless. strongly implied to be dead.

Gabino and Kaimo – they better be okay!! a group of younglings were successfully evacuated off SB, though we didn’t see these 2 specifically.

Imri Cantaros – apparently was present on SB. presumed dead by Vernestra months later. status unknown.

Nima and Viv’nia – present on SB for a bit but got sent away a while before SBF. presumably fine on Coruscant.

Ruu – the summary I found says he’s okay on Corellia. he also seems extremely cool and I hope I get to meet him. wish there was art.

Zint – present on SB. successfully evacuated with Qort.

IV. Nihil kids

Krix Kamerat – last seen still on SB as it is on fire in Eiram’s atmosphere, fighting Lula. status unknown.

Nan – present on SB. tried and failed to prevent its fall. evacuated in Koley Linn’s ship, returning to the Nihil.

Sabata Krill – last seen on the bridge of a crashing ship over Corellia. status unknown.

what we know from announcements of upcoming media:

Avon – confirmed for Defy the Storm so alive (which we knew anyway due to her connection to Sana’s storyline during the OT).

Imri, Jordanna – confirmed for Defy the Storm so alive. I would guess the same goes for Sylvestri but I haven’t seen any info about that.

Lula – still MIA, presumed dead one whole year after SBF. the same probably goes for Farzala but he isn’t mentioned by name.

[rphunter]

howdy howdy ! this might be a bit of an odd request but myself (23 + they/he) & my close rp friend (30 + he/him) are searching for a (RP!!) third 💀 we have more chaotic activity + asocial tendencies so while we prefer group settings it's not more realistic than 1x1. but we would adore an additional weirdo (pos) to do more of a mini group vibe! we do occasionally play more than one character between the two of us so another person would likely be perfect!

in terms of who we'd work best with, we'd want someone 21+ likely no older than 33 (although if you are REAL CHILL and fw with this, 20 y/os or under 40 may reach out too) preferably somewhere in the us (i'm est and he's mst) but truthfully we're night owls so not a requirement! as stated, our activity varies but we're usually online daily to chat and post anywhere from 4 hours back and forth one night to a few replies over two weeks -- communication is never an issue with the handy server that we'd invite ya to. your personal activity is your tea but as long as you can vibe with our more hectic ones, we gucci! both my friend and i are queer/lgbt so we'd prefer fellow fruity folks (and aren't JUMPING to include cishet men but as always, exceptions can be made for a gr8 fit) & we're both poc (myself black specifically) so either being of color or having proper nuance/understanding or at minimum the ability to be open minded and listen is required.

when it comes to writing preferences, we're generally pretty flexible and also relatively random. i don't have many fandoms but he does have a fair few (at the moment we mainly align on being potterhead kids that have disowned joke rolling ™️ but do enjoy the universe the fans have created at this point if we're being real). i adore a lot of supernatural or otherwise beyond realistic horror/unknowns and dabble in sci-fi of the blade runner or scanner darkly universe variety. he fucks heavy with cyberpunk (the genre and the 2020 critically acclaimed vidya game) and not as much with supes but sometimes i can convince him. regional gothic, real life with spice like crime or political intrigue, really the only sparse territory is historical fiction (which i am HAPPY to utilize my mostly useless trivia on the 19th & 20th century for, but i don't typically go game of thrones type way back). smut is not an issue and a great source of giggling / entertainment for us but not necessarily REQUIRED since fade to black is cool too. not really pwp writers to be fair, though! we just don't shy from it when the plot allows.

pairings wise i write all and lean to fxf & mxf (incl nb/gq muses) while he writes primarily masc or otherwise nb muses. we gay, our characters usually are in some way, and it's never going to be the heteronormative wattpad good girl x bad boy round here. we also don't shy from most darker/taboo pairings or plots (barring minors or animals) but don't care for trauma porn / excessively awful backstory -- there's just not much that we will outright say NEVER to without context. finally, we are big on headcanons, character development, and really building our darlings to harm beautifully!

we write on forums (jcink to be specific) and i am a creature of habit who is an old man about discord rp aka likely will never get into it. we are both very patient and happy to show any tumblr or discord writer the ropes, especially since it'd just be the three of us writing more than joining a whole group rp. i think this covers the most important bits, but if any of this appeals to you, reader, like the post and we'll reach out as soon as we can (we'd prefer to reach out vs adding direct contact for comfort!)

.

[genshinluvr]

Crave 5

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader, Albedo x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: You and Albedo go to Dragonspine to conduct an experiment on whether plants from another region can survive Dragonspine's climate and soil. While conducting an experiment, you get really cold, and Albedo gives you a warming potion to drink that should keep you warm for the next few hours. Unfortunately, the potion isn't a warming potion. Instead, it's an unknown potion that contains an aphrodisiac.

Note: Honestly, I wish this smut was longer, but your girl has a headache, and it's killing me 😵‍💫 This smut probably isn't the best, but hey, Albedo finally got his smut! It's officially Christmas, so this is your Christmas present from yours truly (along with the mini-fic/smut that I posted not too long ago of Pierro and Capitano). The next fanfic is going to be hurt/comfort, and it's also a request (which I hope is still in my inbox unless Tumblr decides to eat it). As previously stated in the previous Crave "series," I tried to keep the story as gender-neutral as possible. All of my smuts do lean towards female!reader/AFAB!reader with gender-neutral pronouns. As usual, minors DO NOT INTERACT! I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: Horribly written smut, aphrodisiac, slight exhibitionism, cervix fucking, mating press, unprotected sex, spitting, cunnilingus, overstimulation, missionary, creampie

Word Count: 8.5k

Crave "Chapters": [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

“Are we really going to let [Y/N] go up to Dragonspine?” Diluc asks, leaning against the stairway. Diluc glances up the stairs, hearing faint bickering coming from the second floor. Diluc can hear footsteps coming from the room above his head and items being moved around in your room, items being dragged across the floor, and a faint whine coming from you.

Kaeya chuckles and lightly punches Diluc’s shoulders, only to earn a glare from the red-headed man. “Relax, Master Diluc. [Y/N] is going to be in Dragonspine for only a few hours with Albedo, assisting the chief alchemist with his projects,” Kaeya explains, giving Diluc a teasing smile.

“That’s too much!” You whine from your room.

Ayato and Thoma stop at the bottom of the stairs and looks up the stairs, then glance over at one another. Ayato lifts his teacup and takes a sip from it. “I wonder what [Y/N] meant by too much,” Ayato mutters, blowing on the hot tea. 

“Does anyone know who’s upstairs with [Y/N]? I know they’re preparing for their journey to Dragonspine with Albedo, but I’m not entirely sure what they’re doing up there,” Thoma says. Thoma leans on the railing of the stairs, his green eyes remaining locked on the top of the staircase while nibbling on his bottom lip. 

Xiao approaches the four men with a deep frown on his face. “Why would [Y/N] accompany the chief alchemist to Dragonspine when his assistant, Sucrose, can help him with the project instead?” Xiao asks, running his hands through his hair.

“Last time I checked, [Y/N] volunteered to go to Dragonspine with Albedo. Plus, it’s not going to be long; it’ll be a few hours, and the two of them should be back at the abode before dinner,” Kazuha says, flipping through the newspaper on the couch.

Venti lets out a groan as he plops on the couch, sprawling his entire body out like a cat, and pouts at the ceiling. “It may be a few hours, but it’s still early in the morning! They’ll be back when the sun is setting!” Venti exclaims, raising both of his hands in the air and staring at them blankly.

The men hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and their heads turn toward the direction where the noise is coming from. You’re waddling down the stairs, wearing layers upon layers of clothing, your head barely peeking from the mountain of scarves wrapping around your neck. You let out a frustrated huff and glare over at the person coming down the stairs behind you.

“Zhongli, is it really necessary to dress me in this many layers of clothes?! I can barely move!” You exclaim; no matter how much you try to raise your voice for the others to hear you from underneath the scarves, your voice is still muffled. 

Zhongli nods his head. “Yes, it’s necessary for you to dress in layers before going up to Dragonspine with the chief alchemist,” Zhongli replies, giving you a small smile when you peek up at him from the mountain of scarves and a beanie on your head that looks like a cherry on top of an ice cream. 

“I understand that you want to keep [Y/N] warm from the sheer cold of Dragonspine, but perhaps this is a little bit too far,” Dainsleif mutters, gazing at you with an amused look on his face.

Childe coos at you. “Look at you! Aren’t you a cutie patootie?! All bundled up for your journey to Dragonspine!” Childe squeals and pinches your cheeks that are squished together from the scarves around your neck. 

You stare up at Childe blankly, feeling heat rush to your face. You’re not sure if the heat rushing to your face was because of Childe or if it was because of the number of clothes Zhongli had you put on for your trip to Dragonspine with Albedo. Childe wraps his arms around you and rests his cheek on your head with a big smile on his face. He looks down at you and plants a sloppy kiss on the cheek that is poking out from the mountain of scarves you have on. You might as well enjoy Childe’s affection before you go out into the cold mountains with Albedo. You didn’t push Childe away from you; you just stood there and let Childe holds onto you like a koala and let him kiss your face every few minutes while he gushed about how ridiculously cute you looked.

Kaveh looks over at Al Haitham with a slight smirk on his face. “For someone as fearful as Childe, most people wouldn’t expect him to gush over someone like the abyss mage,” Kaveh says, pointing his thumb over in your direction.

You gasp and begin tugging on Childe’s sleeves. “Childe, Kaveh just called me an abyss mage! Kick his ass for me!” You said, attempting to point at Kaveh, only for your arm to fall to your side due to the layers of sweaters and jackets you have on. 

“Are you ready to go to Dragonspine?” You hear Albedo ask. You shuffle to turn around to face Albedo and see him carrying a few pieces of lab equipment in his hands and around his shoulders. Albedo looks at you with wide eyes and scans you from head to toe.

Gorou smiles and nods his head, patting your head lightly. “They’re ready to go to Dragonspine, as you can see!” Gorou says, showcasing you with a dazzling smile on his face.

“Before you ask [Y/N] why they’re wearing layers of clothing, it’s the geo archon that dressed them up for the trip,” Scaramouche speaks up, taking a bite out of the sunsettia in his hand.

Itto enters the living room with two large onikabutos in his hands and Aether and Heizou following behind him, drenched in water. You stare at Aether and Heizou, and they stare back at you, wondering why you look like you’re about to visit Snezhnaya. 

“[Y/N] and Albedo are about to leave to go to Dragonspine,” Al Haitham says.

“Oh, right! I completely forgot that [Y/N] volunteered to go to Dragonspine to assist Albedo with his experiment,” Aether says, nodding his head while stroking his chin.

Heizou looks at you curiously. “What’s the experiment about?” Heizou asks.

“It’s both research and an experiment, but it’s a test to see if these plants that Tighnari and I have collected can survive in a sheer cold like Dragonspine,” you said, looking over at Tighnari with a grateful smile on your face. Though, you’re not entirely sure if Tighnari can tell that you're smiling or not because of the scarves.

“Personally, I don’t think these plants will survive in the sheer cold. It’s a no-brainer. But even though the answer is obvious, it’s a fun little experiment that [Y/N] can test out themselves with the help of the chief alchemist with his other projects and experiments,” Tighnari says, nodding his head. 

Itto walks up to you and pokes you on the forehead while looking down at you curiously. “Since you’re wearing that many layers of clothes, how are you not sweating already?” Itto asks, peering down at you.

“They are sweating. Do you not see the bead of sweat trickle down their face and get absorbed by one of the scarves?” Cyno asks, raising his eyebrows at Itto. 

You turn to look at Tighnari. “Will there be a chance of me helping you with one of your researches?” You ask.

Tighnari props his hands on his hips and tilts his head to the side while contemplating possible research with you assisting him. “Well, that would depend because I am also a forest ranger, and I can get pretty busy, but I’m not sure if you want to get close to the withering,” Tighnari replies.

Pierro shakes his head. “It’s best for [Y/N] not to get close to the withering. You two can do your little research as long as it doesn’t involve the withering,” Pierro says.

Pantalone chuckles and pats Pierro’s shoulders. “Oh, Pierro. [Y/N] is an Akademiya student; sooner or later, they might encounter the withering on their own or do research on the withering for the Akademiya,” Pantalone says, letting his hand drop to his side after Pierro brushes Pantalone’s hand off his shoulders.

“Are you two going to head off to Dragonspine without breakfast? It’s still early in the morning,” Capitano says, leaning on the top rail of the chair, his button-up shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

You look over at Albedo, then turn to face Capitano and shrug your shoulders. “I’m assuming we’re going to have breakfast when we’re at Dragonspine. I’m sure Albedo wants to get everything settled down before we have breakfast,” you said.

Dottore walks up to you with a dramatic sigh and pushes Childe to the side to give you a hug. Childe glares at the back of Dottore’s head and crosses his arms over his chest while grumbling curse words to himself, loud enough for Dottore to hear what he’s saying. Dottore ignores Childe’s grumblings while adjusting the hat on your head.

“If you end up missing home, please inform Albedo about it. I would much rather have you spend your time in my arms than at a place like Dragonspine,” Dottore says, laying his cheek on the top of your head while rubbing your back lightly. 

You pat Dottore’s head and slowly pull away from Dottore’s hug. “As much as I would love to spend time in your arms as well, Dottore, I believe that Dragonspine is the only place on Teyvat that I haven’t visited yet! Other than the three other regions,” you said.

“Is there a reason why you want to visit Dragonspine? Other than assisting Albedo with his experiment and research?” Diluc asks, raising his eyebrows at you.

You nod your head. “There’s snow! It doesn’t rain or snow in the abode, and it’s a little bit disappointing,” you answer, scratching the back of your neck. “I understand that Dragonspine is really dangerous to explore alone, but I’ll be in Albedo’s lab at Dragonspine, safe and sound! Plus, the teapot will be floating inside the cave while we are conducting an experiment,” You add.

Albedo looks over at the clock on the wall. “We should be heading out soon. The longer we stay, the more delayed our experiment will be,” Albedo says. Albedo gestures for you to follow him out of the estate.

You nod your head and wave the men goodbye before following behind Albdeo out the door. The men stop by the front door of the estate and watch you and Albedo walk to the nearest waypoint in the abode. You turn to look at the men one last time; you give them a smile and loop your arm around Albedo’s arm before the two of you teleport out of the teapot.

Dainsleif turns to look at Zhongli. “Is it possible to make it snow and rain in the abode?” Dainsleif asks, raising his eyebrows at the former geo archon.

“I’m not entirely sure. But even if it is possible, I have no power to control the weather in the teapot, nor am I able to do such things,” Zhongli replies, stroking his chin.

Not going to lie; when you and Albedo teleport out of the abode and to Dragonspine, you sort of expected to be at Albedo’s lab immediately. But unfortunately, you’re wrong, and now you’re trekking up the mountains with the teapot in your arms while shivering when a gust of wind hits you in the face. Albedo didn’t seem fazed from the sheer cold, but maybe it’s because he’s chalk, but you could be wrong. You remember the sheer cold bar at the bottom of the screen in Genshin Impact above the health bar. No matter what character you’re playing, they cannot stand the sheer cold, so maybe Albedo is good at hiding it.

“You know how back at the estate, I said that I was disappointed that it doesn’t snow or rain inside the teapot?” You ask, eyes focusing on the ground to make sure you don’t misstep that’ll cause you to slip and fall to the ground.

Albedo keeps his eyes straight forward on the path in front of you two and nods. “Yes, I do recall that,” Albedo answers. 

“Well, I take it back because I completely forgot how cold it can get when it snows,” you sulk, clutching onto the teapot tightly as the both of you trek up the slopes. 

Albedo chuckles and points at the top of the slope where the two of you are walking. “You can start warming up when we get to the laboratory. I’m sure Sucrose or Timaeus have already lit the fire up beneath the stove, and you can start making breakfast for the both of us while I get things set up,” Albedo says.

You let out a shaky sigh and nodded your head, mentally thanking Zhongli for dressing you in layers upon layers of clothing before sending you out to Dragonspine. If it weren’t for Zhongli, you would’ve been a [Y/N] popsicle by now. You nuzzle your face deeper into your scarves, almost sighing in relief when the bottom half of your face is engulfed in warmth. No matter how cold it is in Dragonspine, you look forward to working with Albedo and seeing him in his element.

The two of you soon arrive at the campsite, and you sigh in relief, feeling the warmth from the laboratory warming your body up. You set the teapot down in the corner of the camp before walking over to the campfire, squatting down in front of the campfire, and holding your hand close to the fire to warm your freezing hands up.

“It’s nice to finally visit your campsite, Albedo. I would visit your campsite in my world often, but it’s nothing compared to being here in person,” you said, blowing into your hands to heat them up.

Albedo looks over at you with interest. “Is that so?” Albedo asks, setting his things down on the table nearby and beginning to go through the shelf.

You nod at Albedo’s question. “I’ve always wanted to visit your campsite, but I never got the chance to ask if I could visit your campsite with you. But I’m glad that we’re here now!” You said, standing up and walking over to the backpack that you had brought with you.

“I’m glad that you have decided to keep me company and assist me with my experiments. Sucrose and Timaeus are usually the ones to keep me company and help me with my research, but it’s nice to have a new face around the campsite,” Albedo says, smiling at you.

You smile back at Albedo. “I hope I can assist you as much as possible! Think of me as your mini assistant or temporary assistant,” you said, turning to look at your bag and digging through it to grab out the ingredients for breakfast and lunch.

Albedo looks over at you and smiles. “What if I don’t want you to be my temporary assistant?” Albedo asks, pressing his lips into a thin line as he waits for you to answer his question.

You pull out a loaf of bread, a carton of eggs, a plate of cheese, and ham while giggling. “Then you will need to wait in line because Dottore and Tighnari want me to be their assistant as well,” you said, giving Albedo a big smile. 

Albedo raises his eyebrows at you. “Is that so?” Albedo asks. 

You grab the ingredients while nodding your head, carrying the ingredients over to the stove, plopping them down on the ground gently, and squatting in front of the fire. You began cracking the egg and dumping them into the pan, sprinkling some black pepper and salt onto the eggs. You have decided to cook a breakfast sandwich for you and Albedo to eat; your mom would make you and your siblings whenever she gets up for work. Not only is a breakfast sandwich easy to make, but they’re also quick to eat and can keep your stomach filled up for a few hours (depending on how many you eat). 

The sound of eggs, bacon, and butter sizzling fill the once-silent air between you and Albedo. You take a whiff of the delicious smell and feel your stomach growl. Archons, you can’t wait to devour the breakfast sandwiches. About fifteen minutes later, you finally finish cooking the breakfast sandwiches and place them on a plastic plate. 

You get up from your seat and walk over to Albedo, who is scribbling on a piece of paper that is being held down on a clipboard in his hands. Albedo looks up from his clipboard when you place the plate on the table in front of him, placing a paper napkin beside the plate.

“Breakfast is ready! Sorry, it took a while. I had to figure out how to cut the sandwiches without burning my fingertips,” you smile at him sheepishly. 

Albedo smiles and places the clipboard down. “No need to worry. Let’s eat our breakfast before starting on the research experiment,” Albedo says.

“Oh, give me a second. I’m going to take the layers off so I can move around comfortably without accidentally knocking things over,” you said. 

You walk over to the small bed at the corner of the campsite and begin to take the layers of jackets, sweaters, and scarves off your body. With each article of clothing you take off, you feel your body become lighter and less hot. After shedding off the last jacket, you’re left in a sweater that Childe has let you borrow. Technically, he didn’t let you borrow it. He shoved it to your face and demanded that you wear it before going off to Dragonspine with another man (it was Childe’s dramatic commentary, not yours).

You debated on whether you wanted to keep Childe’s sweater on, but since you will be working with chemicals soon and you’re going to be eating in a moment, you don’t want crumbs to fall on his sweater and stain it with chemicals. So, you opted to take his sweater off and put it back on before going back to the abode. 

“Oh? Are you not cold?” Albedo asks when you sit down beside him and grab the second half of your breakfast sandwich.

You shake your head. “It’s quite warm in the lab, plus I don’t want to stain Childe’s sweater with any chemicals or get breadcrumbs on his sweater while I’m eating,” you reply. You take a big bite out of the breakfast sandwich and almost let out a moan when the food touches your tastebuds. Once you have chewed and swallowed your food, you say, “I forgot how good this tasted.”

“You’re a pretty good cook, [Y/N]. Why haven’t you thought about cooking for the rest of us at the abode?” Albedo asks.

You pursed your lips. “Because I can’t measure or do proper math when it comes to adding more measurements for the ingredients. I’m not sure how Thoma does it, but I know I’m going to screw something up if I attempt to do it,” you reply.

“I’m sure Thoma is willing to take it step by step with you. After all, you two have cooked something together before,” Albedo says, finishing up his breakfast sandwich. 

You do a double take and look at Albedo with wide eyes, then look down at the breakfast sandwich that you just took a bite out of. How in the world did Albedo finish up his breakfast sandwich that quickly? Albedo wipes his lips on the paper napkin along with his fingers before getting up from his seat to toss away his trash. 

Being the slow eater that you are, you begin to panic and start to shovel the breakfast sandwich into your mouth. Albedo stops in his tracks when the two of you make eye contact, your cheeks puffing up from the breakfast sandwich you’re shoving into your mouth. The two of you don’t talk and continue to stare at one another. You slowly chew on the breakfast sandwich you shoved into your mouth and swallow it, staring at Albedo like a deer caught in headlights.

“I understand that you don’t like being the last one to finish a meal, but please don’t rush and shove large portions of food into your mouth. You’re going to choke,” Albedo chides. He walks up to you and wipes the corner of your lips with the napkin that is sitting on your lap.

“Hehe, sorry. I couldn’t help it,” you said, scratching the back of your neck. “Plus, I didn’t want to hold us back from starting the experiment. If I continue to take my time with my breakfast, then we will get a late start on the experiment and return to the abode later than we intended,” you said.

Albedo hums and strokes his chin, nodding slowly. “Ah, I see what you mean by that,” Albedo murmurs, gazing down at you. His eyes land on your arms, noticing goosebumps appearing on your arms and the hairs on your arms standing up.

“I’m done!” You said, voice muffled by the food in your mouth. You get up from your seat and grab your napkin, wiping your lips while walking over to the trash bin to throw your trash away. When you return to Albedo, Albedo grabs your biceps and pulls you towards him.

“Are you cold, [Y/N]? You have goosebumps on your arms,” Albedo says, holding your arms up to your face for you to see. 

You shrug your shoulders. “It’s a bit chilly from the wind being blown into the campsite, but I should be okay. Besides, Zhongli did dress me up in layers before coming to Dragonspine,” you said, bobbing your head toward the direction of piles of sweaters, jackets, and scarves. “No need to worry about me, Albedo. I’ll put on a few layers if it eases your worries a bit,” you said, pecking his cheeks lightly before walking to the pile of clothes.

You slip on Childe’s sweater before wearing a jacket over it. You stop in your tracks when you see your gloves, debating if you should wear the gloves or not. After all, there’s a slight chance that you’ll be dealing with chemicals, but you want to be able to conduct an experiment without having to worry about the test tubes slipping out of your grasp because of the fabric of the gloves.

You shake your head. “I don’t need the gloves,” you tell yourself. 

You turn around and walk over to where Albedo is prepping for the experiment. You stand beside Albedo and gaze down at the plants that you and Tighnari have collected for the research. You know that Tighnari is going to be correct— the plants won’t survive in a freezing climate like Dragonspine, but you do wonder if the plants from Snezhnaya will survive in Dragonspine. You wouldn’t mind visiting Snezhnaya to test it out, but Childe doesn’t want you to visit Snezhnaya just yet. You and Albedo began labeling each plant and lining them up beside each other on the glass top. After lining and labeling the plants, Albedo turns to you and gives you two small glass dishes.

“Please fill one glass dish up with soil and the other dish with both soil and snow. You needn’t worry about the snow melting; I have a potion that will prevent the snow from melting,” Albedo says, turning to search for the concoction he mentioned about. 

You nod and walk to the entrance of the campsite and begin filling one dish with snow and soil and the other dish with just dirt. Once you have gotten the appropriate amount of snow and dirt, you return to the campsite with the two plates in your grasp.

“I hope these are enough for the experiment,” you said, placing the dishes down on the table close to the plants. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m wearing fewer layers of clothing, but it feels like it has gotten much colder outside,” you said, rubbing your hands together while trying to blow heat into your freezing hands.

“Has it? Let me go check and see,” Albedo says, brushing past you to go to the cave’s entrance, sticking his arms out and staring up at the sky. Albedo walks back into the campsite and shakes his head. “It still feels the same to me,” Albedo says, stopping in front of you.

“Oh, then perhaps it’s just me then,” you said, continuing to rub your hands together, trying to create heat to warm your hands up. 

Albedo grabs your hands and gently squeezes them. You’re so cold that Albedo can feel it through his gloves. Albedo releases your hand and begins scanning his surroundings, searching for something that can keep you warm for the next few hours without you having to go back and forth to the heated stove.

Albedo’s eyes land on the test tube that contains a red potion. When Albedo grabs the test tube, he can feel the heat emanating from it. “Here, try this,” Albedo says, turning to you to hand you the test tube. “I believe that I was working on a warming potion that would last up to a few hours. It should keep you warm and prevent you from freezing from the sheer cold,” Albedo explains.

You grab the test tube from Albedo’s hands, almost sighing in relief when you feel the heat spreading on your hand through the glass tube. You uncorked the bottle and downed the potion. You feel the heat from the warming potion spread throughout your body, melting away the cold that was engulfing your body a few seconds ago.

“Whenever you’re ready, we can get started on the experiment,” Albedo says, grabbing the test tube from your hands and putting it back on the test tube rack.

“We can start now since the potion is already in effect,” you said, gazing down at the plants and rubbing your fingers against the leaves. “I know that Tighnari is most likely correct, but I want to test it out for myself,” you said.

Silence fills the campsite as you and Albedo work on the experiment. The only time you and Albedo would speak to each other was when he was giving you instructions on what to do and how long some plants should be kept in the soil and snow with soil. The sound of glass tubes clinking and pen scribbling on paper fills the air. You feel sweat forming on your forehead, close to your hairline. Your body gradually gets hotter and hotter, and an uncomfortable feeling forms in your lower stomach.

You reach up and wipe the sweat off your forehead before continuing the experiment. You feel your groin begin to throb painfully, making you press your thighs tightly together, officially unable to focus on your tasks. You look over at Albedo, who is occupied with his part of the experiment. He bends to the side to get a closer look at the plants and how it’s reacting to a different soil. 

You clear your throat and begin to take the jacket off, hoping it’ll bring some relief to you. You feel your hair sticking to the back of your neck because of the sweat, and you begin to fan yourself with your hands, but it doesn’t relieve your situation at all.

“Is something wrong?” You look up and see Albedo looking at you quizzically while you continue to fan yourself with your hand.

You clear your throat. “I’m not entirely sure. I think the warming potion is working a little bit too well because now I’m sweating, and I can’t seem to cool down,” you said, reaching for the hem of Childe’s sweater and taking it off.

“That’s strange….” Albedo trails off. He puts everything down and walks over to you, pressing his hand against your forehead. Your forehead is so hot that it’s easy for people to assume that you’re running a fever whenever you’re not. Wait, is there a possible chance that you’re getting sick?

“How are you feeling right now? Any headaches? Aching body?” Albedo questions you, pulling you over to the small bed in the corner of the campsite. You pause for a moment and slowly shake your head.

“There’s no headache right now, but I’m feeling hot all over and,” you trail off, continuing to wipe the sweat off your face and your neck. By this time, your entire body is almost covered in sweat. You swallow the lump in your throat and sit down on the bed when Albedo lightly pushes you down on the bed. You cross your legs and press your thighs together tightly, almost jolting when you feel your genitals ache and pulse.

Albedo kneels in front of you, gazing at you worriedly. “And?” He asks, grabbing you by your chin and tilting your chin up so you wouldn’t break eye contact. Albedo can see how your pupils are dilated, a thin sheen of sweat forms on your forehead, and he wipes it away with a nearby tissue.

“It’s embarrassing,” you sigh, resting your head on Albedo’s shoulders. “I don’t know if I can say it without making the both of us feel uncomfortable,” you murmur against his shoulders.

Albedo strokes your back and tucks your hair behind your ears. “If you don’t tell me, how can I fix the issue?” Albedo asks softly.

“I’m… I’m aching, and it’s pulsing, and I don’t like it,” You mumble, refusing to make eye contact with Albedo when you slowly pull away from him. You grab the collar of your shirt and wipe the sweat forming on your cheek.

“Aching and pulsing where exactly?” Albedo looks at you quizzically.

Without saying a word, you pointed down at your lap. There’s no way in hell you’d be able to tell Albedo that you’re suddenly horny and need to be dicked down. Whatever you ingested was not a warming potion. In fact, it’s most likely an aphrodisiac, and you’re not sure if Albedo knew that he gave you a concoction that contained an aphrodisiac.

You let out a frustrated sigh and point over at the empty test tube. “I think the ‘warming potion’ is actually an aphrodisiac, and now my libido has increased, and I feel like I’m in a heat,” you said. 

“Shit,” Albedo mutters, suddenly standing up from his spot and running his fingers through his hair. “I must’ve messed up the ingredients while making the warming potion,” Albedo says, walking over to the table and scanning his eyes over the potions in the test tubes. Albedo’s eyes land on a familiar red bottle lying between the stacks of books and scattered lab materials. Albedo grabs the small glass bottle with shaky hands and holds it up to his face. The bottle in Albedo’s hands is indeed a warming potion. What was the elixir that you ingested? Albedo doesn’t recall making a potion that involves an aphrodisiac. How strange.

“Albedo,” you whine softly, trembling in your spot as you try to find a way to relieve the aching in between your legs. “It’s really hot, and I’m extremely horny,” you groan, falling back on the bed and covering your flustered face with your hands.

Albedo’s face and the tip of his ears turn bright red from your words. Albedo swallows his saliva and places the warming potion down on the table before slowly walking over to where you’re lying. Albedo stops in front of you, his knees brushing against yours; he looks down at your flustered form and crosses his arms over his chest.

“How do you want me to help you?” Albedo asks, tilting his head to the side.

You curl yourself up into a little ball. Either Albedo fucks you until the potion’s effects wear off, or you have to wait it out in the snow while cooling your body temperature down. As much as you want to wait it out, the aching between your legs is becoming even more unbearable. It’s driving you insane, and you’re not entirely sure if you can ignore it any further. You mumble something under your breath.

Albedo’s eyebrows pinch together as he leans forward. “Pardon? Can you repeat that? I didn’t catch what you said.”

You peek from behind your hands. “I desperately need you to fuck me until the potion’s effects wear off,” you said quietly. 

After being given the green light, Albedo grabs you by your ankles and yanks you to the edge of the bed, and begins to rip every piece of clothing off your overheating body. Goosebumps appear over your scorching hot body, and your nipples harden when the cold air touches your body. 

When Albedo takes the last piece of clothing off your body, Albedo notices that you have completely soaked through your panties. You shiver when Albedo spreads your legs wide open for him to see; you’re soaking wet, and your thighs and entrance are glistening with your slick. Albedo takes his gloves off and begins slowly stripping off his clothes, revealing his pale skin. Albedo kneels in front of your legs and begins to slowly rub your swollen nub, causing you to jolt from the sudden contact. Albedo pinches the nub and twists it between his thumb and index finger, making you writhe on the bed, attempting to conceal your moans.

“There’s no need to hide your moans; it’s just the two of us here,” Albedo says softly, leaning down to press soft kisses on your inner thighs.

You let out a choked moan when Albedo presses his lips against your entrance and begins to lick stripes up your heat. You tangle your fingers in Albedo’s hair, gently tugging on his hair while he eats you out, moving your hips against his face. You gasp when Albedo’s teeth graze your bundle of nerves, sending shockwaves to your core. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, and your back arches, your entrance clenches around nothing.

“Albedo, please stop teasing me and fuck me already,” you plead, patting his arms to grab his attention.

Albedo pulls away from your slicked entrance and licks his lips, locking eyes with you. You look at Albedo with desperation, your chest heaving up and down from the frantic breaths you’re taking. Albedo plants both of his hands above your shoulders, caging you between his body and the bed. Reaching down with one hand, Albedo grabs his erect cock and begins to pump it slowly. Albedo leans down and rubs his dick between your wet folds, letting out a shaky breath when the bulbous tip of his cock brushes against your entrance.

“Let me know if I’m hurting you, alright?” Albedo murmurs.

You nod your head and close your eyes, bracing yourself. Albedo leans on his forearms and rests his forehead against yours, closing his eyes. Albedo lines his cock in front of your entrance and slowly enters. You bite down on your lips, your tongue lolling out of your mouth, and you spread your legs wider for Albedo. Albedo grits his teeth and continues to slide his dick inside of your heat. 

You’re so wet that it made it easy for Albedo to slide his cock all the way into you without any complications. Albedo buries his dick deep inside of you and wraps your legs around his waist. You wiggle around beneath Albedo, trying to create friction to satisfy the ache between your legs. You wrap your arms around Albedo’s shoulders, your eyebrows furrowing, eyes squeezed shut, and mouth agape. 

“Please move, ‘bedo,” you whisper.

Albedo cushions the back of your head with his right hand while propping himself up with his left hand. Albedo slowly pulls his hips back, his cock sliding out of you, only leaving the tip of his cock inside of you. Albedo snaps his hips forward, and his cock immediately hits your g-spot. Your eyelids fly open, a loud gasp fills the chilly air, and your back arches. Your erect nipples press up against Albedo’s chest, your nails digging into his shoulders, and your walls squeeze Albedo’s cock for a brief second.

“Oh, fuck,” you and Albedo groan in unison.

Albedo rests his forehead on the side of your neck. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down; Albedo latches his lips onto your collarbone and sucks on it. You rake your nails down Albedo’s pale back, leaving red scratch marks in its wake. Albedo begins thrusting into your heat at a steady pace, breathing heavily into your ears. You mewled against Albedo’s shoulders, hugging him to your chest and rocking your hips against his.

“You like that?” Albedo grunts, pressing his hips against yours. 

The tip of Albedo’s cock kisses your cervix; your eyes roll back, and you chew on your bottom lip, nodding your head. You whimper and press your face against Albedo’s shoulders, feeling your walls tighten and throb around Albedo’s cock. His cock is so thick; you can feel him stretch you out each time he thrusts into your entrance. 

You nod your head and clench your jaws. “I do; I love it so much,” you breathe, tightening your legs around Albedo’s waist and continuing to grind your hips against Albedo’s hips. “I don’t want it to end,” you whimper, nipping at Albedo’s shoulders lightly.

Albedo feels something stir inside of him after hearing what you said. Albedo grabs your left leg and tosses it over his shoulders before picking up the pace. The sound of your and Albedo’s skin slapping against each other makes your walls clench around Albedo’s dick. You let out a loud groan when Albedo puts his entire weight on top of you, your left thigh pressing up against your and Albedo’s chest. Albedo reaches down, pinching and squeezing the little swollen nub of yours.

You grit your teeth and sink your nails into Albedo’s back, feeling your orgasm approaching faster than you expected. Frantically, you tap Albedo’s shoulders, and a string of moans and whines comes from your mouth. The knot forming in your lower stomach is prominent, and you’re afraid that it’s going to snap so soon before Albedo can get his release. 

“Albedo, I’m going to cum!” You whimper, holding onto Albedo for dear life.

The knot in your lower stomach continues to get tighter each time Albedo’s cock enters your entrance. Usually, you would be embarrassed whenever you hear the loud squelching sound between your legs when someone is impaling you on their cock. Maybe it’s the aphrodisiac, but it made you even wetter than you previously were. 

You hear Albedo let out a huff of breath; it almost sounds like an amused laugh. Albedo gazes down at you, his hair framing his face beautifully and dangling in front of your face, tickling your temples.

“Already?” Albedo teases, pinching your sensitive engorged nub hard.

You squeal loudly and thrash below him, rubbing up against him like a bitch in heat. You nod your head and comb your fingers through Albedo’s hair, pulling on his soft, light blonde hair. Albedo releases your abused nub and tangles his fingers into your hair, tilting your head up and crashing his lips against yours. Albedo plunges his cock deep inside your hole, groaning against your lips when he feels your spongey walls clamp down on his dick.

You break the kiss between you and Albedo, and your back arches, and you wail his name at the top of your lungs when the knot snaps. Albedo continues to pistons his cock inside of you, not even close to his release. You cum around Albedo’s dick and lay on the bed, limp and fucked out.

“How are you feeling?” Albedo murmurs, continuing to do what he’s doing, bullying his cock in and out of your tight walls.

You whimper softly from the overstimulation and pull him down to you, resting your chin on his shoulders. Your right leg unwraps around Albedo’s waist, falling on the bed while your left leg remains over Albedo’s shoulders. 

“I’m still insanely horny… and I’m overstimulated,” you panted into Albedo’s ears, running your fingers through Albedo’s hair. “I don’t want you to stop,” you whisper, your eyes rolling back each time Albedo slides his cock inside of your heat. 

You squirm beneath Albedo, removing your left leg from his shoulders before wrapping both legs around his waist and flipping him over on his back with all the strength you can gather. Albedo looks up at you with wide eyes, placing both of his hands on your waist. Albedo gulps when you stare down at him hungrily, with lust completely taking over you. 

Albedo sits up on the bed, rests his back on the wall, props the pillow up behind his back, and pulls you to his chest. You plant your hands beside Albedo’s head on the pillow and begin to slowly grind your heat down on Albedo’s cock. Albedo hisses and thrusts up, hitting your cervix. You let out a choked gasp, and your head tilts back. You bite down on your lips and gulp, your bottom lips quivering.

You plant your hands firmly on Albedo’s shoulders and begin sliding up and down on Albedo’s throbbing, red cock. Albedo latches his lips onto your nipples and begins to swirl his tongue on your erect nipples, sucking and lightly biting them. You grab Albedo’s hair tightly and slam your hips down on Albedo’s cock; forcing the blunt tip of his dick to beat your cervix repeatedly. 

Albedo lets out a loud groan and grabs the globes of your ass, squeezing them tightly and would occasionally spank them, leaving a sting in its wake with each smack.

Albedo grabs the back of your neck with one hand, pressing his hand in the middle of your back, stares up at you, and thrusts upwards. Sweat begins to trickle down his face, his eyes rolling back as he rests his head on the wall, letting his hips go on autopilot. You lean back and begin to rub and pinch your throbbing nub, gritting your teeth together as you continue to slam your hips down on his cock repeatedly.

Your legs are starting to grow tired, and you’re way past feeling overstimulated. You suddenly stop riding Albedo’s cock and collapse on his chest, breathing heavily, and your walls clamp and unclamp around Albedo’s cock. Albedo’s eyelids fly open when you stop. Albedo then flips you over on your back and presses both of your legs against your chest, folding you in half. 

You look at Albedo, breathless and tired from the strenuous activity. Albedo leans over you, pressing your legs down on your chest even further. Albedo lets his head fall on the back of your calves to catch his breath. 

Albedo lets out a laugh of disbelief. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on to satisfy you,” Albedo breathes, gazing down at you with a soft smile on his face. He brushes your hair away from your face and slightly parts your leg to the side so he can get a better view of your face. “How are you feeling so far? Are the effects still there?” Albedo asks.

You pursed your lips and moved your hips against Albedo’s hips, emitting a moan from the man hovering above you. “It’s still there, I can barely feel it, but it’s still there,” you answer. Your entire body is tingling, and you cannot tell whether it’s from the orgasm that you had prior or if it was one of the side effects of the pseudo-warming potion. “My body is tingling, though,” you add, pressing your lips into a thin line, waiting to see his reaction.

Albedo tilts his head to the side, his eyebrows knitting together. “How strange,” Albedo says, slowly thrusting his cock inside of your wet heat. “Was it there whenever you ingested the potion?” Albedo asks.

You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t think I felt any tingling when and after I ingested the potion. The side effects that stood out to me the most are my body overheating and, well, feeling extremely horny,” you laugh sheepishly. 

Albedo nods his head. “Interesting. Perhaps your body is tingling because of your orgasm,” Albedo theorizes. 

“And maybe from the overstimulation,” you add, reaching up to stroke his cheeks. 

Albedo blushes and leans down, pressing his lips against yours. Albedo cups your cheeks in his hands, thrusting his cock in and out of your overstimulated hole. You shiver and moan into Albedo’s mouth when his pubic bone grinds against your swollen nub. Albedo keeps you folded in half in a mating press, his cock reaching the deepest part of your entrance and the mushroom tip of his cock hitting the sweet spot.

Albedo breaks the kiss and presses his forehead against yours, his warm breath fanning your face. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll last,” Albedo murmurs, gazing down at you with his teal eyes while continuing to thrust his dick inside you.

You brush his messy bangs from his face and squeeze his cheeks lightly. Albedo’s body jolts, and he looks at you with wide eyes, his flushed cheeks turning a darker shade of pink. “Hey, don’t give me that look. I’m giving you a butt squeeze of encouragement,” you joke, smiling at him cheekily.

“You’re unbelievable,” Albedo chuckles. Your laugh is cut short when Albedo slams his cock into you. You close your eyes and decide to lay beneath Albedo, letting him use you as a cocksleeve and fuck your sopping wet hole until he’s satisfied. While Albedo is using you as a personal fleshlight, plunging his cock into you repeatedly and grinding his pubic bone against your swollen numb, the back of your thighs are starting to become sore the longer he keeps you in the mating press.

The sound of Albedo’s balls lightly hitting your ass and the sound of his hips meeting yours continues to echo in the campsite. Albedo reaches behind you, grabs your hair, and presses his lips against yours with force. The two of you trade sloppy kisses, trading saliva, and Albedo slips his tongue into your mouth, swirling his tongue around yours and sucking on your tongue. While in the middle of your heated makeout session, Albedo taps on your cheek lightly and pulls away from the kiss.

“Open your mouth for me,” Albedo breathes, continuing to drill his aching, red cock into your tight walls. 

You open your mouth and stick your tongue out. Albedo spits a glob of saliva into your mouth and taps your chin. You close your mouth and swallow Albedo’s saliva; your spongey walls clamp down on Albedo’s cock while he rams the bulbous tip of his dick into your cervix. Albedo’s thrusts start to become sloppy the closer he approaches his orgasm. 

You clench your jaws and claw at Albedo’s back, leaving angry red marks behind as the tip of his cock punches your cervix over and over. You whine loudly and let out a loud gasp when you suddenly cum around Albedo’s cock. The feeling of your walls clenching around his cock sends him into an early orgasm. Albedo groans and collapses on top of you, spurting his warm cum deep inside of you.

Albedo takes a deep breath and lifts his head. Albedo slowly pulls his softening cock out from your sullied, cum-filled hole and watches your and his cum drip out of your entrance and onto the bed. Albedo places your leg down and collapses on the bed beside you, pulling you close to his bare chest. The silent air is filled with the sounds of your and Albedo’s deep breaths; you can hear the wind howling outside of the campsite, sending chilly air into the camp. 

You shiver against Albedo and bury your face against his chest as he pulls the blanket up to cover your and his naked body from the cold. You lay your head on Albedo’s chest, closing your eyes and hugging him tightly around the waist. Albedo combs his fingers through your sweaty hair, pressing the back of his hand against your forehead.

“It seems like your temperature has gone down,” Albedo murmurs, looking down at you. “How are you feeling?” Albedo asks softly.

You look up at Albedo, lean up and press a kiss on his jaws. “Much better; I’m pretty sure the effects are gone. After all, I didn’t drink too much of that concoction,” You said, snuggling up against him and pressing your naked body against his.

Albedo stares up at the ceiling, questioning who had made the concoction and how it ended up in the campsite. Last time Albedo checked, Sucrose and Timeaus didn’t make any potions that use an aphrodisiac, but it looks like he’ll have to question them once he visits Mondstadt. You’re lucky that you ingested small amounts of that potion. If you did consume more than what you did, Albedo’s not sure how long it’ll stay in your system and how many times he’ll have to get you to orgasm to feel satisfied. 

Just when you’re about to fall asleep, you suddenly remember the experiment you and Albedo were supposed to keep an eye out on. You jolt up on the bed, startling Albedo. You look down at Albedo and over at the table; Albedo’s eyes widen, and he gets out the bed and gets dressed while you scramble to put your clothes on. You shivered when you felt your and Albedo’s cum leak down your legs and to the ground. Not wanting to be naked any longer, you quickly put your clothes on and stand beside Albedo, looking down at the experiment that sat there while you and Albedo were going at it like bunnies. 

“It seems like nothing has changed much, but there is a slight difference in color,” Albedo murmurs, squinting his eyes at the plant that has a faint yellow.

You blink at Albedo and scratch your head. “I don’t understand how you can automatically focus on the experiment a few minutes after you railed me on the bed and made me cum multiple times,” you mumble.

Albedo smirks and turns to you, propping his left arm on the wooden table. “I have another experiment in mind. Do you want to test it out?” Albedo asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

You look at Albedo skeptically. “And what is that experiment?” You ask, narrowing your eyes at the smug blond chief alchemist.

Albedo pushes himself off the table and stands in front of you, massaging your hipbones. “I want to see how many times I can get you to cum without the aphrodisiac in your system. Care you test it out?” Albedo cocks an eyebrow at you.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders and lean in to nibble his earlobe. “Let’s test it out, chief alchemist,” you murmur into his ears. 

Note: Lowkey, I feel like I'm missing out on a tag of some sort for the warnings 🤔 I'm going to try to upload more NSFW content. Still, I probably won't be posting them twice a week like how I did with the Pierro x Isekai'd!reader x Capitano mini-fic/smut, along with Crave 5. It'll be posted here and there, whether as a full fic that is over 5k words or as a mini-fic. Who knows! I need to strengthen my skill in the smut department. For those who want to be on the new taglist, here is the link [click here]! The people I tagged down below will or will not be tagged in the upcoming fics, depending if they filled out the new form or not. Anyway, for those who are new here or are returning readers, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

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